


The Life that Never Lived- Harry Potter and the ???? (Goblet of Fire)

by bookhater95



Series: The Life that Never Lived- Harry Potter Reading the Books (???????) [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-07-19 06:49:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 39
Words: 384,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7350343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookhater95/pseuds/bookhater95
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Though the worst has been revealed, now that Harry has Sirius on his side they're all confident Harry's next year must go smoothly...right? Part of my Reading the ? Series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. THE RIDDLE HOUSE

Welcome to the epic start of half way through the series! Here we go guys!

* * *

Harry and Lily were the only ones to wake at the normal time the next morning. In fact they were the only ones awake all day. Both stayed quiet and in the kitchen, chatting about everything and nothing. Harry was particularly interested in asking his mother about her cases she'd had at work, trying to avoid as much talk of school as possible. Though he longed for as much detail of their time at Hogwarts, he now realized he may have gotten all the information he was going to get for a time as memories of that place would be particularly painful for everyone now.

Harry still couldn't help but edge in at one point, "so, what did they do about days like this back in school?"

Lily kept her eyes focused on her infant, trying to ignore the frown line this brought up but she knew she was the best person to answer, as none of the boys could have gotten this out properly. "Remus normally slept through the day hidden in the hospital wing, the other three often went around making jokes that he was just skiving class. They put some numbing charms and the like to hide the worst of their injuries."

Harry was frowning in thoughtful concern, trying to picture what he'd seen of them last night actually pushing through a whole day of classes, and his respect for them grew tenfold. Thankfully it wasn't a problem today.

He couldn't help the next question that burst out, "but you said he's never come back looking so bad, why couldn't they have just gone outside, why stay in that tiny little room?" He'd spent some time outside that morning looking around what could have possible been his childhood home, and while he could see something that might have been a town off in the distance, he couldn't help thinking of some way that could have gone better for the lot of them.

Lily had honestly asked James the same the other night, unwillingly admitting she hadn't wanted this in the house if it could be avoided, but James had admitted same as she told Harry, "they didn't feel it was safe enough. They were wandering Hogwarts and Hogsmeade for years before they even made Animagus, they knew the area and felt safe running around with, well, Moony as they refer to Remus when he's like that. We've only lived here about a year though, and almost all of that time has been out of the house for one reason or another due to the Order and the like. Normally they go out to some unpopulated forest near Remus parents old place, and they didn't have the heart to test anything new last night."

Harry could tell how much it was bothering his mum to talk about. He put it all down to moments when he was sure she was remembering the rat making a crack or two that she'd just brushed off at the time, to her old friend Severus trying to make something more of it and her ignoring that to, and how now she was the one making defenses for him while she'd rather never see those two again.

Then there were other things, a topic that couldn't be avoided but they both knew would be brought up, at least by Sirius, so Harry voiced the concern now, "are you guys going to try and convince him to come back over again?" He knew for a fact he did not want that confrontation to happen, let alone somehow be a part of it when he knew he would somehow step in and protect someone, though he had no ideas of who anymore. Would he still try and protect Pettigrew? He doubted this, as he no longer held the key to Sirius' freedom in this timeline. Would he still be okay with watching his dad and Uncles become murders though? That he had no answer to.

Lily saved him by saying, "no," with absolute force, clearly leaving no room for discussion even as she explained "it's too dangerous. Clearly we can't leave here for a reason, at least until these books are done. If nothing's changed and we still can't leave after that, then we'll concern ourselves with it, but for now it's too dangerous. Merlin knows what could have happened if we had convinced, that rat, to stay and read with us, something might have gone very wrong adding someone into the group when clearly there's something going on around us. I'll tell Sirius and anyone else it is not worth the danger." Then she finished in much softer tones "besides, he's hardly come around so much lately, it would probably take Merlin himself to get him to come back over."

Over a dozen times Lily had to squash down the urge to go and wake her boys, to at least get some food in them while they slept, but instead she only occasionally peeked in on each of them, repeated a few of the healing charms she knew and left them to sleep the day away.

The first thing James found the next morning was Sirius and Harry sitting on the couch, laughing about something. Pressing down on the vile green urge that was trying to come back up, he made to go back up the stairs and pretend like he hadn't noticed, trying to give them some space and bonding time he knew Harry would want now, when Harry caught sight of him and said, "Hey Dad, come here and look at this."

Forcing a smile onto his face, he came over and ignored the fact that Sirius was giving him an odd look to glance over and see what Harry was looking at, and burst into real laughter at finding them holding a photo album he and Lily had been making recently.

"What are you doing with this?" He snickered, lunging over the sofa and landing with a whump on Harry's other side, offering his hand out for it.

"I wanted to show it to him," Sirius said like that was obvious, now smiling lightly as well when he realized whatever had been bothering James had clearly passed for now. "Thought it would be worth a laugh for him."

James began flicking back through the pages they'd already passed stopping at a few and laughing in remembrance of when they'd been taken. There was the one of the first night Harry had been brought home, Lily being so exhausted in the photo she was constantly yawning, but the glowing smile so bright it dimmed the rest of the background. There was the day James brought Hickory home as an anniversary gift for Lily, and the very first thing the cat did was walk up to two week old Harry and curl around him to fall asleep.

Harry recognized quite a few from his own Hagrid had gifted him, and couldn't help but wonder if they were in fact the exact same photos. Could this have possibly survived whatever had happened to his parents on that Halloween, had Remus somehow fallen into possession of this and he'd been the one to send some of these pictures to Harry? Hagrid had mentioned some of his parent's old school friends had supplied the photos, it made sense at least. He found even more photos from his parents wedding then the one from his, plus a few others of what were probably his parents first, like them standing in the empty living room when they'd first gotten this house.

There were some that were even older, scattered around before Harry was born of James, Sirius, and Remus all doing random things such as Sirius' last birthday, and the cake that had exploded onto the ceiling, leaving all of them with icing in their hair. Remus, with a hairbrush where his nose should have been, done in retaliation by Sirius for who knew what at the time. James a week before his wedding acting like a loon and bouncing around every inch of the frame, his constant worries about everything that was going to go wrong long since forgotten. The rat was conspicuously lacking, and there were some empty spots where a few pictures had clearly been removed, and James couldn't help but wonder if Lily had spent the day they'd all been resting to pull them out. He supposed that's how Harry and Sirius had come across it.

They spent the rest of the morning going over every picture, Harry still able to come up with endless questions for the both of them about every second the pictures were reenacting, until finally Remus and Lily arrived as well. Sadly they ran out of pictures about that same time. Remus had the baby playing happily in his arms and curled up into the recliner with him, leaving Lily to lounge out on the other sofa by herself for now. All three of the boys still looked terrible, James still had a vivid black eye and kept wincing whenever he shifted around too much and Sirius wasn't twitching as much as he normally did, leaning a little more heavily than was usual into the couch to keep himself upright. Remus still somehow looked the worst, an unnatural white with vivid dark circles under his eyes and he was moving the least of all, though that's probably why he wanted the baby, to help him remain as still as possible.

Silence rung in the room, Harry got the feeling they were trying to avoid talking about something and he had a very good idea of what. They decided they'd waited long enough anyways, and Lily went to fetch the largest book of the stack stamped with a 4, a worry line already creasing into her as she asked, "Merlin Harry, what happened this year, it's thick as a tomb."

Harry just gave her an exasperated look, she knew he wouldn't be able to answer. At any rate she wasn't even that worried, maybe this year would finally be filled with happy and memorable times, with actually more than one chapter in a row where she didn't get sick from stress. As she rummaged for the first page, she at least comforted herself nothing could be as bad as last year.

**Narrative starts by speaking of the villagers in Little Hangleton, who all refer to it as 'the Riddle House,'**

"Riddle?" Sirius frowned, what an odd way to start. "Wasn't that Voldemort's real last name?"

"Pretty sure, yeah," James grumbled, he wasn't likely to forget that Chamber any time soon.

Lily was already getting a tingling feeling up her spine, asking, "okay, but so what? Where's Little Hangleton, and what's this have to do with Harry?"

"Maybe it's like those odd moments in the first book," Remus offered, "and this book's going to show us some things that aren't from Harry's point of view." After all, Harry wasn't likely on vacation anywhere, nor did he see a place like Private Drives occupants being referred to as villagers.

"Does it have to start with information about Voldemort though?" Harry sighed with distaste, completely with his mother on this one in hoping this wouldn't amount to anything, and already getting an insistent feeling trying to tell him otherwise.

**even though the Riddles hadn't occupied the house for many years. It sat on a hill above the local village, dilapidated and forgotten.**

"So one of those places where you wonder why it hasn't just been torn down at some point," Sirius muttered with disinterest. He wanted to hear about Harry, not Voldemort's childhood home or some nonsense. He really didn't like this was how Harry's next year was getting started.

**It had taken a hard fall from grace with its years of emptiness,**

"Great, so no more of his bloodline is hanging around, good to know," Remus huffed.

**leading most of the locals to refer to the place as haunted. This came about because of what happened fifty years ago, something the villagers still enjoyed discussing when there was nothing else to do.**

Lily still couldn't get rid of this nasty little feeling, like she really didn't want to know about what these people gossiped around in relation to anything to do with Voldemort's namesake, but she'd never gotten a say with these books before of what she was reading.

**Like most stories it had been exaggerated and skewed over time,**

"Sounds about right of any tale," James agreed, his own time at Hogwarts giving him plenty of experience with how wild a tale could spin, though it also caused a more terrible wince in his memory then any physical injury could do to him at one person who was entangled in every single one of those moments.

**though everyone agreed on the beginning. On the day the Riddle House ended, it all started with the maid of the house running into the local pub to announce the family dead.**

"Huh," they all muttered, finally feeling a small spike of curiosity. Sure they didn't really want to know anything about Voldemort except possibly where his self-destruct button was, but they also couldn't help the vaguest of interests starting up at what could have possibly caused this nut job to turn into the way he was.

**Screaming about how they'd all been found with their eyes wide open and still dressed for dinner, but each without a pulse.**

"Wow," Sirius couldn't help the curiosity in his voice now. "Wonder what did them in?"

Lily felt he was actually showing too much interest now, it was still gross, but didn't rebuke him either, she couldn't deny her own shared feeling.

**The authorities arrived, and while the bodies were taken away no one bothered with sorrows, as the Riddles weren't well liked.**

"Why am I not surprised?" Remus scoffed, "apparently the whole line was rubbish?"

Lily still couldn't help but think that was kind of sad, not one person mourned the passing of an entire family? But they were possibly the parents or in some way connected to Voldemort, so she couldn't muster up much herself either.

**The narrative going on to say how unlikable the two parents were, and their boy Tom being worse.**

"Oh, wait," James said, ruffling up his brow as he struggled to remember details back from that chamber. "Is this Voldemort's Dad and grandparents? He did say he was named after his father, unless you just said Voldemort was dead, in which chase I am okay with this."

"I doubt we're that lucky," Sirius sighed dramatically, "and it's likely the first." He knew James had been kidding anyways, the timelines didn't match up for this to be the description of the death of the Dark Lord, but it was still nice to think about.

"But this could be what started Voldemort on being, well Voldemort." Lily was frowning as she thought this over, "Over half a century ago, that's before Voldemort took over. Maybe the death of his family caused him to be the way he is."

"The way he went on about his own dad being a muggle?" Remus reminded, "Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if he did this himself."

Harry only got the briefest flash of something, like he wanted to agree with Remus, before Sirius laughed it off.

"Gee thanks Moony." Sirius shuddered, "I really wanted to think about Voldemort doing his own parents in, though," he added on curiously, "guess I can't say I haven't envisioned doing it myself." There was no real enthusiasm to his joke, after the last book, even knowing he hadn't committed all those murders, he just couldn't find the same sense of humor about killing anyone else. He still did it out of obligation, he'd never missed a chance to ridicule and show off how much he hated his namesakes, it was just a shock to the others to hear such a different tone while speaking of it.

**What the villagers couldn't stop talking about was who had committed the murder, for obviously all three wouldn't have died like that otherwise.**

"Though it most likely does seem magical at this point," Lily muttered to herself, as she quite agreed, it would be odd for this to be explained otherwise.

**Names were tossed around until one woman entered with a real answer, the family cook, who had been down at the police station and came back to announce the arrest of Frank Bryce.**

Harry felt something twitch inside of him at this name being mentioned, though he had no real connection to it. If it wasn't someone he should care about, then why did he feel sorry for him? Why would he feel anything for a name he was positive he probably had never even met?

**He was the Riddle's gardener, a war veteran who lived on the property and was well known for not liking to be around others.**

"And that just automatically makes you a murderer now does it?" Remus grumbled, he didn't particularly like going over to stranger's houses either.

**One nameless woman tried to defend the old man, saying he just wanted his privacy, but then the cook pointed out how everyone knew he kept a key to the main house in his own home.**

"How would she know that?" James demanded. "If she's never been over like it's implied, how would anyone but the Riddle's know that?"

"It was said he was arrested," Sirius shrugged, "maybe this cook overheard the police saying that while it was happening."

**The police had told how the house was not broken into, it would have been easy for Frank to have done this.**

"Does he have a motive?" Lily frowned. "Sounds to me like he just wants to be left alone, I can't see why he would go doing this, as I highly doubt this wealthy family would even leave anything to their gardener, plus he'd also be out of a job."

"Well let's see if the police scrounge up something," Remus offered.

**This seemed to turn the mood of most other people, as many agreed that war had turned him funny.**

"War turns a lot of people _funny,_ " James muttered bitterly, thinking that no one should have a right to judge those who hadn't actually been in one. He'd seen what war had done to one of his best friends, changed him into a radically different person, and he didn't appreciate any little reminder.

**They continued exchanging stories about Frank, and by morning there wasn't a doubt in anyone's mind the police had got their man.**

They all sighed heavily, already having lived through one book of a wrongly convicted person. They didn't even know this man, but it wasn't any friendlier of a reminder that it could be happening all over again to some random stranger.

**But over in the neighboring town of Great Hangleton,**

"Original," Sirius snorted.

**the police were having trouble coming to the same conclusion. Frank was denying any such claim, saying the only person he'd seen around the house that night was some dark haired boy, who nobody else had caught sight of, leading the cops to think he was just making that up.**

"Maybe not," James muttered, thinking back to Voldemort's more human description, and that wasn't a bad likeness.

**Before a conviction could be had though, the medical reports came in, and not a thing could be found wrong with the bodies. They hadn't been strangled, poisoned, suffocated, or by any means hurt, except for the fact that they were dead.**

"Oh yes, just that tiny little detail," Remus rolled his eyes, not really able to find it as funny as he once might have.

**There was a note at the bottom, the only thing to explain away these deaths, they'd all been found with looks of fear on their faces. That wasn't the answer anyone wanted though, because who'd ever actually died of fright?**

"I'm sure if they took a look at Voldemort's face they would have," Harry sighed, wondering why he'd said that at all. Had Voldemort been the person to kill his own family? He only got a sharp poke from his memories for trying to remember.

**Without proof, Frank was released, and he returned to his simple life and continued his tending of the manner gardens, to no one's pleasure. All of the villagers were in agreement he should leave town, since everyone knew he was the man who'd done it.**

They all had a bite of distaste in their mouth, beyond displeased at this continued topic, perhaps taking it to personally due to what they'd recently learned would happen to Sirius, but not finding it any less foul happening to someone else.

**Frank did not move away though, and instead continued his job even as the house changed ownership. The new occupant did not move in, but the man who'd purchased it had claimed tax reasons, though no one was clear what that meant.**

Lily actually looked like she was going to interrupt herself and explain, but James cut her off, "let it go Lily, they're not here to explain it to, and not even I wanted to ask."

**The wealthy owner continued to pay Frank to do the gardening however.**

"Well that's, nice," Remus said, unable to help breaking off at the end uncertainly. He still had no idea what any of this had to do with Harry, what was the point of this book showing all of this, and not even through Harry's point of view?

**Frank was about to hit his seventy-seventh birthday by this point, his damaged leg paining him more than ever in his old age, though this never stopped him from tending to his beloved plants.**

Lily couldn't suppress a happy smile though. She dearly wanted a garden, and she suddenly found herself very fond of Frank for even in his old age sticking to something that he clearly loved.

**Weeds weren't his biggest problem though, but the children of the locals. The boys were well known for chucking rocks and further breaking apart windows,**

James made a little scoff. He had no problems with giving cranky elders some fun in their life, but vandalizing was never one thing he did intentionally.

**on their bikes as they tore through the grassy lawn.**

Making Lily give a heated scowl of outrage, finding these some pretty despicable kids for tormenting this old man's hard work.

**A few times they would even break into the house on a dare, finding great amusement when they saw the elder man come hobbling towards them, screaming with his cane about how they were wrecking the property.**

Sirius, couldn't say anything. He could make no claims whatsoever that he wouldn't be right along with those kids, this town sounded boring to him and seeing how far they could push this guy sounded like the only source of amusement some rowdy boys could get up to. So long as they didn't do anything too crazy like actually burn the place down.

**Frank knew why they did it, because the parents had told these boys of how Frank was the supposed murderer.**

"I'm pretty sure they'd be at it no matter what their parents or anyone said," Remus said with an eye roll, most boys in the age he was thinking wouldn't listen to Merlin himself if he told them to stop.

**So when Frank awoke one night in August and saw a small flickering fire in one of the windows, he first assumed it was those kids again.**

Harry was getting a very hair raising feeling, instincts going haywire as he wanted to blurt out a warning to this old man, that he was way off the mark on that one and he should just go back up to bed. The problem, he knew, was that if he even started to try he'd receive a very sharp pain for his troubles, and considering how much his family freaked out whenever that happened he couldn't bring himself to dig into the feeling despite how much he felt he should.

**Frank did not own a phone, and he wouldn't have called the police if he did, having a deep mistrust for the police since they'd arrested him.**

"Can't honestly blame him," Lily sighed with a deep shake of her head, wanting to give those kids a good telling off for this. Not that she'd admit she probably would have been one of the first to go in that place on a dare.

**Frank began shuffling around his house, getting dressed to head up there, and taking his key as he left. He circled the place first, but found the front door nor any of the windows showed sign of forced entry.**

That wasn't so odd though, even the two purebloods knew how to jimmy a lock so that it didn't look forced the Muggle way, or possibly the kids had gone in through one of the broken windows previously mentioned. This all seemed perfectly harmless and meaningless to Harry, that's what all four of them kept telling themselves, and yet they were starting to get a prickling feeling. One glance at Harry and they could see he was struggling, his face clearly showing that he was trying his hardest to repress a memory, and if his rubbing at his temple was any indication by now, they knew it was going to be a bad one.

**Frank went around back instead and let himself in. Though it had been many years since he'd come in here, he still had no problems from memory navigating his way to the stairs, thankful for the thick layer of dust everywhere as it muffled his feet and cane.**

"I can see the fun of trying to sneak up on them," Sirius nodded, trying to put some mischief into his voice, trying to force the lighthearted tone he so craved from just one stinking chapter, but it sounded false even to his ears.

**Once on the top floor, it was easy to spot the occupied room, there was only one door cracked open with the lights flickering out.**

Remus couldn't help but picture this place like the Shrieking Shack, and the comparison wasn't making him feel any better considering the last time any mention of Harry had been in there, and now he was having to fight back a combination of vile and hatred all over again and it was in no way reassuring to what was going on now.

**Frank made his way to the door in time to hear a man's voice, low and scared whisper that there was still some drink left in the bottle for his Lord.**

Lily couldn't help finishing that with a little rasping noise, like she wanted to scream and gasp all at the same time but the two strangled themselves off because this just couldn't be happening! Not to her son, not again! There was only one person who could be referred to as My Lord, and despite how much she so desperately wanted it to not be true she couldn't come up with any other alternatives. She'd had a bad feeling since the first line of the book with Voldemort's namesake, now here he was in the house! Where was Harry? That one question just kept flitting across her mind now with more force than ever before, because she really wanted to hear that this was taking place on a different continent then near her son.

She came back to herself to find James with his arm wrapped tight around her, he'd clearly hopped seats and was now muttering reassurances in her ear that at least this was like that beginning of the first book, Harry really wasn't there now around that monster.

The shock still hadn't completely worn off when Remus blurted out, "who's talking to him? Is it like another Quirrell thing, because otherwise I really don't see how an answers coming."

"You just have this magical ability to ask exactly the wrong questions", Sirius scowled at him, he didn't want to be thinking of things like that. He wanted to hear the possibilities of who else it could be! He'd only gotten one year of reprieve of fearing a Voldemort come back so far and that had been the worst one of all for him!

Remus didn't look very repentant, his mind was scattering in too many different directions at once trying to understand this. At least he wasn't asking anymore what this had to do with Harry, he had a very nasty feeling why they were learning this in comparison with his cub's life now.

No one answered him though, because no one had any answers. They had no idea how Voldemort even still existed! They weren't even sure why he'd disappeared the night James and Lily had died, what could have happened to turn him into the vapor like creature that had been able to share a body with Quirrell. Voldemort no longer resembled anything they could wrap their mind around, so any questions regarding him couldn't even be speculated he dwelled so far outside the realm of their knowledge.

Lily did not look happy about it, but when the silence continued to drag on she realized she was expected to keep going no matter how much she'd rather do anything else. At least now she had her husband at her hip for some reassurance that everything was going to be okay.

**The voice that responded was like pure ice, declaring he would finish it later, and even as he spoke it made the hairs on Frank stand on end.**

Sirius couldn't help a shudder of disgust, recognizing this was most likely what Voldemort's voice sounded like now, and getting a creeping chill up his spine at the thought.

**Then that same voice requested he be moved closer to the fire, referring to the first man as Wormtail.**

The old nickname of one of the people she would have claimed as a dear friend up until a few days ago slipped out of her mouth almost without realizing what she'd said. Once she did register that the rest of the boys in the room had tensed up and she recognized why, she couldn't decide what surprised her more; that he'd really gone back to Voldemort, or that he was even still alive and had escaped the combined might of Sirius, Remus, and Dumbledore. Really though, it shouldn't have come out as such a surprise, she really should have realized it would lead to this. That rat really didn't have anywhere else to go back but to Voldemort's side, but she hadn't expected it to come up so soon. What she did happen to linger on in confusion is why Voldemort would use that childhood nickname? Clearly the rat had told Voldemort everything, but why would Voldemort call him that? Had the rat even requested it? It was such an odd detail she almost didn't take notice of what the others were doing.

What Sirius proceeded to call him would have made anyone with the foulest of mouths do a double take, not that anyone in this room could blame him. His rage and anger at being denied his revenge on that treasonous worst excuse for an Order Member he'd ever met left him a broiling mess at even the slightest hint of his being mentioned. Now Lily had just said that he was the one catering to Voldemort himself! That putrid little rat was actually helping him, being his right hand and, and he couldn't even think straight he was cursing so much in his mind as well!

James had no qualms about agreeing with every word, but it didn't change what he was really feeling, which was hurt. Why couldn't he be hearing about Sirius and Remus hunting this soulless critter down? Why couldn't he go on hearing about Harry having a good time with his friends over the summer? Why was it at every turn of the page he felt something else being ripped from him and it just kept leaving him emptier the longer this dragged on?

Remus still couldn't help but wince in shame at the mere mention of that name. Yes his family had convinced him that it wasn't _entirely_ his fault, that the little backstabber's actions belonged only to _him_ , but Remus still replayed those nights' events over and over and he still wanted to strangle the life out of himself for being a hand in his escape. _He_ should have been paying for his crimes in Azkaban by now, for what he'd done to Sirius, James, Harry, and Lily and most likely Remus himself if given the barest of a chance.

Harry recognized hearing this name would still be a terrible blow to everyone in here, it really didn't make him feel much better at the resurfacing reminder that this name was the reason he was interacting with his parents for the first time. This wasn't going to go away though, not for some time, his gut was confident of that. So though he'd rather not, he managed to catch his mom's eye and silently asked her to keep going, knowing this wasn't something to get better with time so hoping moving past it for now would still be a better option.

**There was the sound of a chair being dragged across the floor, and once that had stopped Frank could hear that icy voice speak up again asking where Nagini was.**

Sirius couldn't help it, he heard an unfamiliar female name and he automatically wanted to make a crack about someone getting a new girlfriend, but he restrained himself by only adding in a few more phrases of malcontent.

**Wormtail responded by saying she'd gone to explore the house, and the second voice instructed when she returned she was to be milked again.**

Milk her? Well this clearly wasn't a person then. Were these two really dragging a cow around with them in this old abandoned house? As unlikely as that seemed, this one random mental image finally gave the lot of them something funny to focus on, even if it was for the shortest amount of time.

**Going on to say how he would need the feeding again, the journey to this place had worn him.**

"Wish it had just killed you," Sirius muttered, still intermittent with words he never would have dreamed of using if the baby could understand what he was saying.

**Frank continued listening all the harder as Wormtail asked how long they would be at this place, and he was answered with at least until the Quidditch World Cup was over.**

James couldn't help but frown, feeling fidgety all over again as his favorite sport was mentioned during such a trying time and he wanted to feel happy just at the mention of it but also still wanted to curse something into smithereens the longer this conversation dragged on.

**Frank began trying to clean out his ear in confusion, as he was sure he'd just heard the word Quidditch, which wasn't actually a word at all.**

"Ah the innocent," Remus forced an amused look he didn't really feel.

**Wormtail began asking about this, saying he didn't understand,**

"Of that we can agree on, as I doubt you understand anything," Lily snarled under her breath.

**why they had to wait. The cold voice returned that it was to unsafe to continue moving around, the Ministry of Magic was on high alert and he didn't want to catch the attention of the Muggles either.**

"I don't want to know, I do not want to know," Lily moaned, glaring down at the print and unbelievably wanting this book to be over already even though she'd just started. It was just so tiring between hearing about Voldemort and the rat, now working together, plotting anything!

**Frank stopped trying to clear out his ear.**

"I keep forgetting the Muggles hearing this," Sirius frowned, for the first time his attention drawn elsewhere besides the two speakers and realizing how bad this could get fast. That old man had better stop picking his ear alright and get out of there as fast as his bum leg would allow, or they were going to be hearing about something far worse.

**He had plainly heard the words Ministry of Magic, and Muggles. As those weren't actual words, they were clearly a code for something, and only two types of people used codes, criminals and spies.**

"Well he's not wrong," Remus sighed, rubbing furiously at his temple to stave away an already growing headache.

**Still he did not move as Wormtail spoke up about how his Lordship was still determined to go through with his plan? When the cold voice responded of course he was, there was a slight pause before the first man spoke up again, exclaiming how this could all be done without Harry Potter.**

That part, actually wasn't surprising. They were all well aware that of course Voldemort would seek the boy who had been his downfall, it was why they were all so tensed and stressed at the mere mention of Voldemort's name. Of course that didn't make them hate it any less, it just wasn't a shock. What did get to them, was that Wormtail had suggested otherwise. Even Sirius, who had every intention of trying to lop off his head with a duller axe then what had been used on Nearly Headless Nick, registered that this little vermin had actually made an attempt at trying to protect Harry. This in no way excused what he'd done to them by any means, but it was the first glimpse for the first time that maybe their old friend was still somewhere buried in there. Too little too late.

**A surprised pause where the second considered the option, and Wormtail quickly added on he had no care for the actual boy,**

Sirius made a guttural noise, his brief flare drowned at once as he began picturing all over again every torture he'd ever heard of and making up a few on the spot.

James on the other hand flinched like Lily had just cracked him over the head with this book, which would probably give him head trauma, but even that would be easier to deal with then what he was feeling now. He kept flashing back and forth between anger and betrayal like a coin toss, never sure which one he was going to get next but still feeling as raw as the first time. This time it was betrayal, and he wanted that denial back all over again before he'd admit one of his friends had just said that about his baby.

**no consideration for him at all!**

Lily was planning on pulling out her own tongue if she really had to say that again, still on the more murderous side like everyone else at this sniveling coward covering his tail, probably just trying to make his job easier or some nonsense considering how well protected her son was, but it didn't make the words any easier to say.

**He had only suggested this because any witch or wizard could be used for the thing.**

'The thing?' James quickly latched onto that, unbelievably finding that whatever Voldemort was up to was actually easier to hear then his friend tossing his son's life away like that.

**If he could just be given permission to step out for some time, he could be back with another person in no time.**

Remus was grinding his teeth together so hard his jaw was starting to ache, the only reason he wasn't being as vocal as Sirius was because of the baby in his arms and he didn't want to start yelling with him so close. His restraints were starting to wane out though, as he realized that whatever that rat was suggesting wouldn't be any more beneficial to this random person then to Harry, which was most likely murder or something worse. He still could hardly picture it, that same person who'd been to this house less than a week ago casually speaking to the Dark Lord about these matters!

**The cold voice agreed it could be done, and Wormtail sounded adamant now that trying to get at Harry Potter would just be so hard, he was the most well protected.**

Harry couldn't help but frown in agitation at that, wondering what protections those were, and wondering all the more why he'd never been informed of these. Shouldn't he know if say his house was being watched, or some other monitoring was taking place that stopped any old Death Eater like Malfoy from showing up at his door and killing him? He was having a mental argument with himself whether to bring these things up, see if his family could know anything about them, or if he would sound petty griping about being protected from people he knew he did need shielding from. Judging by the slight confusion on the rest of them, Harry decided he'd have to let it go for now.

**The icy voice shot back though that this could just be a double cross on Wormtail's part, a plan for him to be running again?**

"I still can't imagine what made him go get him in the first place," Lily grumbled. Sure the rat was outed now, nowhere was safe for him so long as Sirius' name was still criminal number one, but to Voldemort? He could have just lived out the rest of his life as a rat in shame, he could have moved to another country and started a new life, why was this still his decision? His reasons, or lack thereof in this case, were more than baffling, and not something she wanted to linger on.

**He tried to protest, but the other voice snapped back that he could tell he was being lied to. How Wormtail had been regretting coming to his aid since the beginning.**

James looked like he was trying to release all of the air from his body at once he sighed so loudly, because the reason he wanted to hear for this to be true never would be, and it still wouldn't make up for what he did.

**The iced voice declared that he revolted his servant.**

Sirius never in his life would have thought he'd have something to agree with Voldemort on...but he still thought that was too mild so he didn't think it really counted either.

**He could see the flinch every time he came near him, the disgust as he was being watched over. Wormtail tried to protest, but his Lord cut him off by stating calmly that his service was only being carried out of fear, because he had nowhere else to run.**

Lily couldn't help but reflect back on what she'd been thinking, how the rat had other continents to get to if he really wanted to. He must have some other reason for being there, but she had not an inkling of what, so she still couldn't bring herself to say anything.

**Then the iced voice reflected that he still took it, because he couldn't survive otherwise.**

"I still want to know what the bloody hell he even is," Remus grumbled, thinking that if they could just find this weak little thing that was being described now they could be done with all of their problems. Then he had to correct himself, that this hadn't happened yet, thankfully, but they were still dealing with an all-powerful Voldemort so they'd have to find another weakness of his.

**Wormtail tried to console his master already looked so much stronger, but again he was cut off and being told that was a lie, then he silenced him. Whatever protests the servant had been trying to make died off.**

"Least someone shut him up," Sirius huffed, thinking he'd die happy if he never had to think about that sniveling voice again.

**The unnamed voice got back on track, saying he had his reasons for using Harry Potter and they would be carried out. His plan would work, all he needed was some courage from Wormtail.**

Remus scathed under his breath, thinking that was the last trait in the world that rat could claim, ashamed he'd wound up in Gryffindor all those years ago with the rest of them and caused the rest of them so much.

**Which he would do, unless he wanted to feel the wrath of Voldemort again.**

James leg gave a spastic twitch, an old feeling wanting to rear up when he realized that Peter was being tortured, but that was easily smothered by a terrible glee that he deserved every last second of it and more.

**Wormtail still tried, saying how he'd been going over the plan as well, how the disappearance of Bertha Jorkins would be noticed soon,**

Lily gave a little ooh under her breath. It may not have been a name she was familiar with, but that didn't make the legitimate claim that the rat really had already gone out and killed even more no less painful. She was still having problems coming to terms with the fact that he'd killed twelve people and seemed to feel nothing for it.

Remus' face went even more sour though, as he snapped, "she didn't deserve that."

"You know her?" Lily asked in surprise.

"Not well," James shrugged, "she was a few years above us, but a horrid little snitch. She made up stories all the time to get people she didn't like in trouble, all talk but no brains whatsoever. We once paid her off to tell Dumbledore someone else had hexed her and she completely fell for it."

"I'm just trying to figure out how she got involved in this," Sirius frowned, "how did she even run across this?"

Harry felt a little stirring, the normal place where he should have felt a memory but of course there was still nothing. Still it was at least a little comforting he would get an answer for this, but for now none of them had the faintest idea.

**that if he murdered more- but he was cut off by the self-declared Voldemort that there would be no if. Wormtail would follow through on the plan, and the Ministry would be none the wiser, though he did wish he could do this himself.**

"Poor thing, I'll make sure to leave the next murder for you," Sirius snarled.

**Sadly he was incapable in his current state.**

Remus couldn't help but frown, still torn between curiosity and disgust at what he was hearing. This thing, this form of Voldemort, was clearly more substantial then what they'd last seen in Quirrell. He must have some kind of body now if he needed feeding as he said, but it sounded useless, like an infant to die if not tended to. That still didn't explain what he even was. Had he somehow taken over the body of an actual baby? Why not, if he could have just taken another body, even take the rats. On top of all these questions was the assured desire he did not want the answers, he'd much rather hear about whatever this thing was dying and the rat betraying him and leaving him behind like he had to them and no Voldemort would ever be a problem again.

**Then he told Wormtail that all they needed was one more death and Harry Potter would be theirs. Besides, it wouldn't be long before he had a real faithful servant at his side.**

"Oh?" Lily couldn't help but frown. At least two names coming to mind of who this could refer to, Snape and Malfoy. Both were known Death Eaters, even that executioner that had been supposed to kill Buckbeak, Macnair, could be a candidate, and Merlin knew how many others there still were out there. Now that Voldemort had any follower he was already back in business of killings and disappearances, with an incompetent fool at his side. She didn't want to think what he could do with even more followers, which he would probably get with the rat quietly spreading the word around the Dark Lord was back.

**Wormtail respond with some sulk to his voice that he was faithful.**

James couldn't help but press the heels of his hands into his eyes until he saw bright spots, nearly knocking his glasses off, just trying to give himself something else to concentrate on, but even that didn't help the cruel noise he made upon hearing that. It just wasn't getting any easier to hear these kinds of things over and over again.

**The icy voice shot back that he needed someone with brains and competence, both of which he lacked.**

Sirius couldn't stop a strangled like noise, like he wanted to give a harsh laugh at how much he agreed with that statement, but it would once again be agreeing with anything Voldemort ever said or did.

**Wormtail argued back that he'd been the one to find him, a definite pout to his voice now.**

Remus could vividly hear that voice in his head, because it was the same one he always used whenever he had to tell the others he couldn't come over for the summer because of his mother. For the first time he remembered that she'd supposedly been given an Order of Merlin because of what everyone thought Peter had done, and he couldn't help but wonder if she was even still alive. Most likely not, or he'd like to think he would have gone groveling back to her even before Voldemort, then again that was most likely a place where he would be looked for so maybe not. Either way it didn't make him feel one tiny bit better that he could perfectly hear the tone and picture the face of someone who was once a brother now acting like this around Voldemort.

**He'd brought Bertha Jorkins in the first place. The second voice agreed this was true, though that was still more a blunder as he'd had no idea how useful she could be. Wormtail tried to protest, but again he was cut off and told he was lying. That same blistering tone saying how he was still grateful for the ineptitude, her information had concocted his plan, and Wormtail would be rewarded for this. It would be an honor, as any of his servants would give up their right hand for this.**

Harry couldn't help but blink, hard, wondering what on earth that could mean. Why did he get yet another feeling that this was something important he should remember? It involved Pettigrew though, so he really didn't want to know.

**Wormtail went back to sounding terrified as he asked what that could be.**

"Not terrified enough," Sirius grumbled.

**The other gave an amused laugh back, saying he didn't want to spoil the surprise, but it would be as good as what Bertha had given to him.**

James couldn't help but frown as he realized, selfishly, he would almost feel a sense of relief if he found out Voldemort killed the rat. It would make matters more complicated for Sirius, he'd still much rather find out the rat was dragged forward and his real brothers name was cleared, but some tiny little part of him couldn't help but want that the very being the rat had thrown his life away for had also been his undoing.

**Wormtail sounded close to panicking as he asked if he was going to be killed?! The second voice was surprised, saying it wasn't like that. Bertha had to be killed, she was no longer of any use after his questioning.**

Lily got a terrible taste in her mouth, not even wanting to consider what kind of questioning had been going on to make that girl seemingly useless.

**Besides that, she could hardly have been let to leave when she'd discovered Wormtail.**

"Oh but it would have made our life so much better," Remus growled.

**After all, Ministry employees couldn't be wandering into supposedly dead men now could they.**

Sirius grumbled something inarticulate about how this would be the least of that rats problems when he was done with him.

**Wormtail still said he'd have rather just changed her memory, but the ice like voice said back that he had just proven Memory Charms could be broken.**

"She had a memory charm placed on her?" Lily muttered, finding this more and more confusing as time wore on. Who had that rat run across that was so important it had seemed to help Voldemort in every way possible?

"That can't be good," Harry agreed while the boys remained in stony faced silence, and both Harry and Lily knew they weren't going to be managing much else until this conversation ended.

**Frank had been listening to all of this, and he hadn't realized his hand was shaking until now. He'd just heard both of these voices speaking of murder, with amusement. These two were clearly mad men.**

"You know it's true when even a Muggle who hasn't understood a portion of this conversation realizes that," Sirius agreed grimly.

**And he was planning more death, this Harry Potter boy, whoever he was -**

Harry really couldn't help the smallest of smiles, he always appreciated when his name was a question rather than the celebrity.

**was in danger. Frank knew what he must do. He would go to the police at once.**

"Oh please do hurry," Lily couldn't help but agree. She knew those Muggle cops wouldn't have a clue as to what Frank would be telling them, but she also knew the Ministry kept an ear in almost all branches of the Muggle world to help stray away any magical problems, surely something like this would crop up on their radar and something would be done about this long before it reached the level of hurting her son.

**He shouldn't have a problem getting back to the local telephone box back in town.**

"Wish he'd get on with it," James muttered, his leg beginning to bounce around in unease, this man was in mortal danger and he needed to get out of that house now!

**But then he heard the cold voice start speaking again, and Frank was frozen in his spot as he heard that they just needed one more murder to be done, and then his faithful servant at Hogwarts.**

Lily couldn't help a little keening noise, at Hogwarts! This could not be good, because one name clearly came to mind of who that could be referring to! She hoped desperately she was wrong, even if she hated Severus more now than ever after the way he'd treated Remus last year she still liked to think he wouldn't go so far as to help Voldemort murder Harry! She held no confidence in the idea though, and she knew without a doubt the boys wouldn't even give him this benefit of the doubt. She held to her promise she'd made James give though, twisting away at herself that it wouldn't come to the worst.

**He then declared he would not hear any more arguments to the matter, and then silenced Wormtail again anyways as he heard Nagini approaching. Then the ice clipped tones changed, not into words, but hissing noises.**

"Hissing?" Remus mumbled.

"Isn't that what parseltongue sounds like to other people?" Harry asked with a frown.

"Yep," Sirius muttered, feeling a cold chill run up his spine as he thought he now understood who Nagini might be.

**Frank wondered if a seizure was taking place in that room,**

"I wish," James huffed.

**but then he sensed something from behind and turned only to find himself frozen with shock.**

'Oh this can't be good' Remus realized before he reminded himself it was already at that level.

**There was a snake slithering right towards him, a twelve foot long beast with a diamond pattern.**

Lily let out a breathy whistle, then frowned with puzzled confusion. She realized this was clearly Nagini, but how could you milk a snake? The only thing that could be referring to was the venom, but snake's that big didn't produce venom. They were either strangling size or poisonous, she'd never heard of one that could do both. What else could they have meant earlier though? Even if this was some hybrid creation she'd never heard of, why would Voldemort be drinking snake venom to make himself better? What the bloody hell was he that this would do any good?

**Frank couldn't even twitch as he watched the reptile come closer, its thick body cutting through a dusty trail.**

"Why did it have to be a snake?" James groaned, he'd had more than enough terror from those beasts from the basilisk!

"What kind of snake is that?" Lily asked Remus, hoping he'd have a better idea then her.

He just shrugged though, admitting the same thing she had, venomous snakes that big didn't exist. Unless it was some rare or undiscovered species, he had no clue, which agitated him to no end.

**Frank had no chance, either he stay where he was and be killed by this serpent, or go into the room where the two murderers were.**

"Never mind, I'll take the snake," James winced, now wishing he could lend this poor man Gryffindor's sword or pretty much anything to get him out of this mess, which he was quickly coming to realize wasn't possible.

**He lost his moment and it was upon him, but then to his astounded life the snake kept going past him, right into the room. Before he could finish blinking the tip of the tail vanished and was instead curling around the chair where the hissing was still taking place by the man, and a ludicrous idea cropped up in Frank's mind, this man could talk to snakes.**

"That's not so insane," Sirius sighed, "muggles have people who claim to talk to animals all the time."

"Was that really relevant right now?" Remus demanded.

"Why does it have to be relevant?" Sirius demanded right back, a smile finally showing again at any loose and friendly conversation again.

"Why would you say it if it wasn't?" James happily jumped in.

"For the hell of it," Sirius smirked with a shrug, and looked likely to even carry on except Lily cut him off to keep going. She fully recognized what her boys were trying to do, delay the inevitable at this point because they were all well aware that this poor man was not going to get out of that house, plus they would find any reason to smile again after the already horrid morning they had been having, but she didn't think pushing it off would make it any better to hear.

**There was no time for his mind to settle before the Lord's voice spoke in a human tongue again, and to Frank's horror he spoke to Wormtail, telling him that Nagini had just said there was a Muggle in the hallway, listening in on them.**

Lily couldn't help a tiny little whimper. She didn't even know this man, she hadn't known Bertha either, but the fact that this book was starting off with yet more murders and all of these unspeakable things happening just felt so sad and foreboding. It was the worst kind of omen for when they finally did get back to what she wanted to hear, Harry.

**Frank had not a second to consider anything as the door was flung open, and Frank was looking upon a squat man with a bald patch not quite taking away all of his gray hair, and a thin unhealthy face.**

James was actually quite happy he couldn't really picture that. His physical description wasn't nearly so radically changed like Sirius, nor had he reached the level of unhealthy Remus often did, but this was still different enough to what he'd seen days ago that it was no more pleasant a reminder.

**When the two just stood there, the cold voice spoke up from the chair, demanding to know where Wormtail's manners were? He was to be invited inside. Wormtail shuffled out of the way and Frank could see the full view of the chair of the speaker, but still not the man himself, meaning he must be incredibly short.**

All five of them couldn't help but frown at that. Only Lily and James had ever seen Voldemort at his full power, and they could attest that he was by no means short. It only reinforced all the more that whatever he was now, it wasn't human.

**He began addressing him, confirming that he'd heard everything, as well as calling him a Muggle. Frank bolstered himself, demanding to know what that word meant. Now that he was in the room his hand was no longer shaking, in fact he felt quite brave.**

'Can we replace that little rat with him?' Sirius couldn't help but think, liking this man more and more as time went on and feeling all the more terrible he was fixing to hear his end come too soon.

**Now that the time for action had come, he felt much more assured, it had always been so in the war. The voice explained that he had called him a Muggle, which was someone who was not a wizard. Frank bristled, saying he didn't know what that had to do with anything, but what he did know was that he'd heard more than enough to get the police's attention.**

"Why would you say that?" Lily couldn't help but moan. "He should have played dumb, said he hadn't understood a word! I still wouldn't put it past Voldemort to have him killed, but throwing that in their face was a terrible idea!"

"Like he said though," James offered with a sad smile, "bravery took hold of him. I think he knew quite well what was fixing to happen to him, so he set his backbone and wasn't going to back down."

Lily sighed, but acquitted it was the same thing she might have done in that circumstance.

**Stating that he knew these men had committed murders and were planning more, than adding on that his wife knew he was here so if he didn't come back-**

"Credit to him, that was a truly inspirational on the spot, but honestly he'd probably just go murder that wife so it's just as well," Remus huffed with pity.

**but was cut off by the cold voice saying that Frank was lying, he always knew when people were lying. Frank had no wife, no one could lie to Lord Voldemort.**

"Stupid, f'ing, legilimency," Sirius kept saying under his breath, thinking that was one of the worst and most violating things any wizard had ever created.

**Frank growled back he didn't think much of the title, and told him if he was a real man he'd turn and face him.**

Truly it was sad what they all knew without a doubt what was fixing to happen to this man, and yet they still couldn't help but smile when they saw how he was acting. He had some spunk and iron to him, something all of them knew well.

**Voldemort responded he was no man,**

"I'll give you that one," Sirius nodded, "you are far less than that."

James couldn't help a muffled snort, just picturing Sirius saying that to his flattened face and what kind of reaction he'd receive.

**but agreed this would be done, then instructed Wormtail to turn his chair around. His servant gave a whimper of protest**

Lily couldn't bring herself to sound very upset at those lines, thinking that little rat deserved any displeasure he was feeling, this was his rotten choice and she'd happily find him regretting it to his soon dying breath.

**but did as told as he came forward and began moving the chair around, almost hitting the snake in the process causing the beast to hiss in protest.**

"He'll wish that was the worst thing he has to deal with," Remus snapped.

**Then the chair was facing Frank, and he had no time to scream, no time to realize what was being shouted at him as a flash of green light overtook the room, and Frank Bryce was dead before his body hit the floor.**

Lily couldn't help but pause. Even if she never met this man and wouldn't have known any better about this before reading that, she still felt a moment of silence was called for. None of the boys said anything either, there was a pitying frown on every face for this having happened, or was going to happen, which ever.

**Two hundred miles away, the boy called Harry Potter woke with a start.**

"WHAT!?"

None of them could help it, they were far past the point of writing off anything as a coincidence, and the fact that Harry had awoken at that exact moment was truly mind blowing and terrifying. After all, they never had found out why Harry's scar had been hurting him in his first year, but they had realized it had something to do with Voldemort. Now here Harry was, reacting to something else Voldemort had just done!

They didn't actually think it was possible, but that had been the worst way this chapter could have ended! They'd long since realized that Harry's scar had been paining him through the whole of his first year because Voldemort had been around Harry, though not truly there because of his shared body with Quirrell which is why it hadn't been a literal constant pain unless he was practically right on top of Harry. Of course none of them even knew why that happened, but for the book to be saying something like that gave all of them chills they did not want at the implications this meant that Voldemort was near Harry again! Of course it had also just said this happened many miles away, so since that clearly wasn't the case, what the bloody hell was going on now? Why would Harry's scar be hurting, because Voldemort had used that spell? Why though, none of this was adding up.

"Lily keep going," James demanded, trying to peek down at the pages when she kept throwing worried looks at her son.

"That was the end of the chapter," Lily sighed, passing the book to James for his turn.


	2. THE SCAR

Happy Fourth of July to those who celebrate it! To everyone else, have a good Monday!

Because Guest asked and I hate not being able to review reply, I did the math, and yes James does get the Hat's Song chapter, so hooray for him!

Think I got myself a Beta, thanks again Tate Forever101, who will start reviewing my chapters starting next chapter, but now just so you guys know, I won't be updating on my schedule, as often, anymore. It's going to come down to whenever my Beta can get back to me, but the payback will be no more spelling mishaps, fair trade?

* * *

"But it didn't even say what Voldemort was now, didn't describe him or anything," Remus couldn't help but grumble before James could start.

"That's what you're concerned with," Sirius scoffed. "You want to hang up a picture of him now or something?"

"No," Remus rolled his eyes indulgently at the teasing, "but clearly whatever he's using as a body now is weak and vulnerable, I'd like to see just how much so and how easy it would be to destroy."

"Hopefully Harry doesn't find out, but someone just tells him later," James sighed without any hope as he began.

**Harry awoke breathing hard, as if awaking from a marathon, a detailed dream still haunting him as he pressed his hands to his scar.**

"Dream huh?" Lily grumbled, wondering at this point if it was even worth it to hope that was true.

**The old scar on his forehead, which was shaped like a bolt of lightning, was burning beneath his fingers as though someone had just pressed a white-hot wire to his skin.**

Apparently not. She sighed along with the rest of the boys, never appreciating that kind of thing being told without someone around Harry to at least notice and be concerned about it.

**He sat up and glanced around his perfectly normal room, still running his fingers over the raised mark on his forehead which was still stinging, then went over to his mirror to inspect it, trying to hold onto the dream. He knew at least two people, the other he had no idea.**

"Wait, what?" Remus yelped. He still wasn't sure on why Harry could sense Voldemort even being around because of that scar, now he was seeing things Voldemort had. Remus always looked kind of sickly right after a full moon, but this wasn't his normal pale tone.

"I, I don't know," Harry sighed, recognizing he hadn't really been expected to answer, but those same questions bothering him as well, and he still felt like he should justify himself. "I've no idea why I saw all of that."

The parents still looked shell shocked, so Sirius forced himself to come out of it first, giving Harry a gentle nudge and saying to all of them, "well, we'll figure it out I'm sure." He paused and actually managed to smile despite his own growing worry when Harry looked like he wanted to agree before muttering to himself about his memories some more. "For now let's just hope that's all you'll be seeing, I'd rather this not become a habit."

He finished by giving James an imploring look, one that he did agree with, and so just forced himself to keep reading, mostly since none of them had any answers to give even if they did keep sitting around to think about this.

**He forced himself to concentrate, trying to hold onto the details. He was sure of the dark room, the snake, the man named Wormtail,**

"Thanks, because I hadn't gotten rid of that reminder yet," Sirius hissed under his breath, unbelievably he'd found that this still bothered him less than what was going on with Harry, and that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

**and the voice of Voldemort. Harry kept his eyes screwed tight to try and remember what he'd looked like, but he couldn't grasp hold of that. Just that the moment the chair had turned, he'd felt a shot of fear that had awoken him along with the pain of his scar.**

"Okay, okay," Lily said, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible. "So, Harry wasn't actually seeing what Voldemort was or any connection to him, he was just seeing that room, at that time, for some reason..." she trailed off miserably as this still helped nothing, and they had no idea why this could be happening. *

**He also had no idea who that old man could have been, just that he'd watched as he fell.**

They all gave a horrible wince at that, never wanting their Harry in the same room as someone who had just been murdered! He'd already had to suffer through that once with his own mother, and thankfully he'd been too young to even realize that until those bleeding dementors had exposed him to the memory. They did not want that to linger in him at all!

**He was losing his grip, it was all swirling together in confusion, and the more he stood there the foggier it got.**

"Why would you want to remember this?" James shuddered, wanting to erase those images from his own mind, let alone letting Harry dwell on them.

**Voldemort and Wormtail had been talking,**

James still couldn't read that name without a ferocious bite to his words, let alone side along with Voldemort's name!

**about plots to kill someone, himself.**

Lily groaned, shaking all over and wanting to steal away her infant from Remus, to go to Harry's side and never let go, she just didn't want to keep hearing about her baby being in an attempted murder, even if it never happened! She stayed herself though, thinking she'd look ridiculous for overreacting like that when clearly they were both fine now.

**Harry sighed and began looking around his room again, finding nothing lurking.**

That gave them all another shot of hate, though for a different reason this time as they remembered all over again what house Harry was most likely at. These stupid books had yet to just skip to Harry going to Ron's place, no so far they'd had to suffer at least some time of Harry at the Dursley's expense, and they had no faith this time would be any different as the book had already referred to Harry being in his room. It was all the more bitter when they had just been so close to Harry getting out of there via Sirius, how clearly at least some time had passed and Sirius was probably still in the exact same situation as when they'd left him, and it wasn't making any of them feel any better.

**The book goes on to cover descriptions of Harry's room, including his school supplies, which Harry was lucky to have in his room. Laying on the floor just underneath his bed was the Quidditch book he'd fallen asleep reading, the pictures still zooming along.**

"Ah falling asleep to a Quidditch book," Remus tried for a soft joking tone, looking for anything pleasant to think on, and at least this was still something he could grasp that rat couldn't take away from him. "James would fall asleep like that all the time, Sirius swore it was the one way to make him settle for five minutes straight."

"Because it always worked," Sirius agreed.

James stuck his tongue out at the pair, but didn't deny the claim either.

**Harry walked over to put it away, even Quidditch, in Harry's opinion the best sport in the world,**

"A world renowned opinion that any sane person shares," James agreed with a firm nod, giving his wife an obvious look which she just as obviously ignored.

**couldn't distract him at the moment. He placed Flying with the Cannons on his bedside table,**

"Bet you Ron got him that one in particular," Sirius smirked, remembering this was Ron's preferred team.

"After he got done memorizing it," Remus agreed.

**and instead sat down on the edge of his bed and still tried to focus. The street he lived on still looked like it always did, but Harry still felt off. He started rubbing at his scar again, though it wasn't the pain that was keeping him lingering, he was used to injuries.**

"Thanks for that reminder, I didn't want," Lily grumbled, trying to keep that to herself so as not to spoil the good mood the boys were going for, and yet Harry was probably fixing to ruin it himself if that was any start.

**In second year he'd lost all the bones in his right arm, and had them painfully regrown in a night.**

"Memorable," Remus nodded in agreement.

"And I still owe that idiot one for that," James agreed.

**The same year and arm had been pierced by a venomous fang not long afterward.**

James quickly lost his stride and turned an ugly green color at the reminder, as if he wanted to be the one to read that reminder! He still felt vomit slick on his tongue at that recurring nightmare.

**Only last year Harry had fallen fifty feet from an airborne broomstick.**

"None of this is even touching on the times you weren't injured but gave us heart failure in first year," Sirius sighed, running his hand through his hair to check and make sure it hadn't gone gray yet.

**So no, pain wasn't new to him, accidents like that were almost common at Hogwarts, and for Harry in particular who had a particular knack for finding trouble.**

"Now that one I'll give you," Remus nodded fairly. "We haven't even told you about the time James kept walking into walls all day, and nearly broke his neck falling down a flight of stairs, and it wasn't because Sirius stole his glasses again."

"One time, I did that one time on a dare," Sirius said dramatically, pointing an accusing finger at the pair, "and you never let me forget it."

"Never will," James laughed, touching the ridge of his glasses possessively.

Even Lily couldn't argue this point, magic was dangerous and a school full of children learning to use it could cause accidents, just not the life and death kind her son usually found.

**No, what was bothering him was the parts about Voldemort, how the last time he'd felt this kind of pain he'd been around Voldemort, who couldn't possibly be in Private Drive now, right?**

Harry felt a chill crawl up his spine, that felt ominous to him, and not something at all he wanted to linger on.

**He let his ears linger, but all he could hear were the sounds of the Dursley's snoring.**

Sirius couldn't help a snorting noise that sounded much the same to Harry, he just couldn't help picturing his pup being all tense and jumpy and then nearly hitting the ceiling because of that harmless noise.

**Harry shook himself, he was being stupid.**

"Not stupid," Remus argued at once, "it's never stupid to be cautious and prepared. You're going off of an experience from before and trying to do the same thing now."

Harry nodded in agreement, but still couldn't shake that bad feeling that he was getting more insight into Voldemort then he ever wanted, and it wasn't going to go away anytime soon.

**There was no one in the house with him except Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley,**

"Though they do give me plenty cause for worry," Lily snapped.

**and they were noisily still asleep, their dreams untroubled and painless.**

"For now," James muttered with pure venom, knowing that too wouldn't last long when they could leave this place again, and those Dursley's would soon be having nightmares for the rest of their short lives about him.

**Asleep was the way Harry liked the Dursley's best;**

"Not breathing at all is how I like them best," Sirius grumbled.

**it wasn't as though they were ever any help to him awake. The Dursley's were Harry's only living relatives.**

The two parents still felt a terrible twitch inside of them every time they were forced to hear or say that, still wanting with everything in the world to claim that wasn't true, and still seething every moment it wasn't.

**They were Muggles who hated and despised magic in any form, which meant that Harry was about as welcome in their house as a wet cat.**

Sirius gave a terrible sneer, now hoping his own name would be cropping up very soon just so he could hear about how terrified they were of him, that they'd been treating Harry like a prince since they found out what would happen to them otherwise by Sirius if they didn't.

**They had been lying to the neighbors about where Harry had been over the past three years by saying he went to a local place for criminal boys.**

"Oh thank you, because we really wanted to be reminded of that," Remus sighed with an eye roll, that stupid lie still making him want to give them a few special curses.

**The Dursley's were well aware that Harry wasn't allowed to do magic during his summer holidays, but they were still quick to blame him for any little strange thing that happened. Harry knew better than to ask them for advice on anything happening in his life, even imagining going to ask Petunia for advice on his Voldemort questions was laughable.**

James and Lily slumped back in their seats, still not able to knock aside the image this shouldn't be Harry's life, he should have been able to go in their room at fourteen and wake them and tell them of this terrible thing he was fearing and they could sooth him just fine then like they were now.

**It was in fact Voldemort's fault that Harry was forced to live with the Dursley's, as he'd been the one to murder James and Lily Potter, and curse Harry with his lightning scar when he failed to kill him.**

Lily groaned and began rubbing furiously at her temple, dearly tempted to just beg James at this point to skip this part. She hadn't thought it possible before, but hearing this over and over again, and now with a real person to blame for the source of it, still somehow got worse every time.

**This had all happened when Harry was barely a year old, and the Darkest wizard in history had arrived on Halloween, killing his father and mother.**

'In that order' James still mentally ragged, still hating himself for not having stalled Voldemort long enough for his wife and son to get out, thinking that if he could only fix one thing he'd make sure it was that.

**Voldemort had then turned his wand on Harry; he had performed the curse that had disposed of many full-grown witches and wizards in his steady rise to power -**

"Did, did someone tell you what that spell was?" Remus managed to stutter out, not wanting to think about this more than anyone else, that vivid mental image of James and Lily still left dead to be discovered by Sirius still leaving him a ragged mess, but sometimes he really couldn't stop himself from blurting out those questions.

"No," Harry mumbled, not meeting anyone's eyes, always hating himself for thinking on these things so much during the summer because somehow either of his parents always ended up being one of the ones to read about it. "Just kind of put that together back from what Hagrid had told me."

Of course there was one spell they all thought had been used, but there was no barrier for that spell, no way could anyone survive it, so it must be something else other than Avada Kedavra.

**but it hadn't worked on Harry, leaving the infant to grow up in the Muggle world, unaware his name was now used as The Boy Who Lived,**

"I still struggle to remember that part," James grumbled, always having wanted his name to be famous, and that mockery still smarting just as much now as when he'd first learned this.

**the savior who had defeated Voldemort. No one had seen the Dark Lord since then, and many theorized he had fled with his powers gone, his followers had dispersed. Harry had been unaware of all of this until his eleventh birthday, when Hagrid had arrived to swoop him into his rightful place at Hogwarts.**

**Sadly Harry was now on his vacation from school, and counting down the days until he could go back. His birthday had already passed, and at least this year he'd received cards from his friends again. What would they say now if Harry wrote to them and told of his scar hurting?**

Sirius couldn't help a tiny frown, realizing that of course Harry would want to tell his friends before him, he had known them longer, but still hoping he at least made the list. Then he wondered if he was even still in regular contact with Harry, being on the run probably didn't make for great communication.

**He pictured Hermione first, her voice going shrill with worry as she mentally demanded if Harry was serious,**

"No, I'm really Sirius," Sirius smirked, still not regretting it one bit as everyone else groaned but Harry still cracked a smile at that gag.

**and that he should write to Dumbledore at once while she checked the nearest book on Magical Maladies.**

"I sincerely doubt that," Remus smiled, thinking Harry had his friend spot on at this reaction. Remus had never even technically met Hermione and he could picture her at once doing these exact things.

**Harry had his doubts about this though, since he was the only known person to have survived this and he doubted she'd find his problem in any book.**

"Something we're still thankful for," James said at once with a forced smile.

"Even if we do question it to kingdom come," Remus sighed.

**Plus he couldn't picture informing the headmaster of the school much good either, he wasn't even sure what Dumbledore did during his summer vacation.**

"That still shouldn't stop you from sending Hedwig, she'd still find him," Lily shrugged, her opinion of Dumbledore at an all-time low after what had been implied he'd done to Sirius, but unable to deny he should still be informed of this.

**He amused himself for a moment, picturing Dumbledore, with his long silver beard, full length wizard's robes, and pointed hat, stretched out on a beach somewhere, rubbing suntan lotion onto his long crooked nose.**

Remus didn't even try to smother a blithe laugh, that wasn't something he'd ever thought up before. It didn't totally erase his own pondering question that just now occurred to him, whether he, like Sirius, would even be considered written to about this? Harry had made no indication at the end of last year this would be a thing, and he wondered if he was giving himself too much credit. Harry may not have been showing it now, but he had basically lied to the boy all year about things he really should have told Harry instead of being the coward he was and barely acknowledging him as anything other than a student. He resisted asking Harry, deciding he couldn't begrudge him if he never spoke his name again for that reason alone.

**Even writing the letter in his head sounded stupid 'Dear Professor Dumbledore, my scar hurt, have a nice summer.'?**

"That about covers it, yeah," James nodded like this made perfect sense.

"Might want to throw something in about the weather," Sirius offered, "just to keep things polite."

Lily released a snort of mirth, knowing these boys meant it and they probably would do something like this, as collective all three boys didn't own an ounce of subtleness.

**Even inside his head the words sounded stupid.**

"Don't see why that should stop you," Remus shrugged, clearly meaning it, making Lily start giggling even harder and for Harry to join in after a moment, to the blank faced confusion of the boys. James just ignored it though, still continuing.

**So Harry instead changed focus to Ron, and instead imagining him saying something about how if You-Know-Who was back around, well he'd be trying to do Harry in again wouldn't he?**

"So glad I didn't seem to hurt Ron's personality as much as his leg," Sirius gave a weak laugh at that, some lingering guilt still getting to him for that, but positive if he'd done anything permanent it would have been mentioned at the last book so he tried to let that one go.

**Then he decided he'd probably ask his dad.**

"Sadly, not Arthur's department," Lily sighed, and meaning it. She'd love for Harry or at least Harry's friend to know someone who did have a more hands on knowledge about this type of thing, but since Harry's situation was unique and no one really qualified under that, she didn't see it happening.

**Harry doubted this would help though, as Arthur Weasley worked with Muggles for a living, and Harry didn't particularly fancy his stay there soon crowded with his one minute jump about a small pain.**

"Jumpy is a bit strong," Sirius shrugged, "you're being legitimately concerned about something that's troubling you."

"Yeah, but it still sounds ridiculous out loud, my scar hurt while I was sleeping," Harry shrugged, still trying to brush it off now like he had then. It wasn't working as well, they each gave him a knowing look saying they didn't agree, but since he didn't want to linger on this anymore with them then he had his friends he still waved his dad on.

**Mrs. Weasley would fuss and Fred and George would think Harry was losing his nerve.**

"Oh the horror," James couldn't stop a smirk, knowing the way to stop any boy from doing something was the fear that his peers would think him weak.

**Harry was expecting an invite there any day now, as Ron had offered him to go to the Quidditch World Cup,**

Even with the terrible start they'd had to this book, none of them could stop themselves from perking up with interest at the mention of this! Even Lily wanted nothing more than to go a whole chapter of hearing nothing more than some innocent fun of a sport, to go without the fear of something happening to or even around Harry! Ron really needed to hurry up with that letter.

**and he somehow didn't want his visit punctuated with anxious inquiries about his scar.**

"I can sympathize that," Remus nodded seriously, that having been a problem once or twice over his own summer holidays, and much rather not talking about where he'd given himself a new scar. It wasn't the same, but he did get where Harry was coming from at least.

**Harry slumped back on his bed, feeling ashamed to admit it even to himself, but he knew what he really wanted in this moment was someone like a parent.**

James could not stop his voice from wavering, his tone switching from a forced neutral to that same empty feeling he kept getting, but he forced himself to clear his throat as hard as he could to get rid of it, and looked Harry in the eye which helped as he declared, "that is not shameful. That is something everyone needs, and-" his words only halted for the briefest second, the other three may not even of noticed even if Lily did, "you've got a pretty good substitute." He finished with a slight incline at Sirius.

Sirius couldn't help a little smirk, all too pleased James had just admitted he could be counted on for giving any good advice as he knew his best friend would regularly deny that, hoping very much himself now that Harry would tell him about this.

**An adult he could turn to without feeling like a fool, who cared about him and knew something about Dark Magic, and the answer came to him in a flash, Sirius.**

"That's okay, he's usually the last person on everyone's mind," Lily snarked, her smile only broadening when Sirius stuck his tongue out at her, which still didn't erase his grin that Harry thought that about him.

**Harry bounded from his bed at once and pounced on the nearest bottle of ink to begin writing, wondering how to start, and still stemmed that he hadn't thought of this sooner.**

"What's there to phrase?" Remus shrugged, still almost successfully ignoring that small little sting he clearly hadn't crossed Harry's mind, and he now officially doubted he would at all as he was sure if he had it would have been right along with Sirius. "Just tell him hey, my scar hurt, how are you, Harry."

"You lot are just so loquacious," Lily rolled her eyes, knowing full well Remus still wasn't joking. They may talk their heads off, causing them to take forever just to get through one chapter, but clearly having no idea how to correctly put said things to ink, something she was well aware from the letters she received from James.

**To be fair he had only found out that Sirius was his godfather two months ago.**

"Well technically you found out during your Christmas break, like seven months ago at that point," Sirius shrugged.

"I didn't think it counted up until the two month point," Harry muttered with a slight blush. Now that he knew how wrong those feelings were, he never wanted to revisit his initial reaction to finding out about Sirius again, and no one argued the point.

**The reason Sirius hadn't just been there all of Harry's life was because he'd been living it in Azkaban,**

"And a thank you for that reminder as well," James shuddered with still fresh horror of Sirius being in there, successfully pushing that stupid little green ball of envy away that Harry was turning to Sirius for something like this, of course James was happy Harry had someone like that, no it had nothing to do with the fact James still wanted that to be him!

**the worst prison a wizard could be taken to as it was run by dementors. Sirius had managed to escape though after twelve years, of wrongfully being in there. He'd gone out after the true criminal Wormtail, who everyone thought to be dead.**

"I wish," Remus growled, causing the baby in his arms to give a slight stir of discomfort, forcing Remus not to continue even though James still did under his breath for a moment before collecting himself.

**Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Dumbledore were the only ones who knew the truth now,**

Remus now brought the little baby up and placed him gently on his shoulder like he was repositioning him, just to ignore that little smack he hadn't even been mentioned. Great, Harry forgot he even existed now.

**forcing Sirius to still be on the run. For only one short hour when Harry had first learned the truth, Sirius had offered Harry a home to come to until they'd realized he had to run, because Wormtail had escaped with the Ministry still none the wiser.**

James had only managed to get through all of that, again, by intermittently repeating several things he never would have considered saying in the first place, but that fire hungry rage was back and he'd still much rather be on a rampage looking for that stupid rat then revisiting this, well misfortune was putting it kindly.

**Now with Sirius out of the country, that promised home life had been snatched away, which had made his return to the Dursley's all the more sour this time.**

Lily wrapped her arm tightly around James waist, her nails digging into his hip but neither of them really noticing because they would still take Sirius in a heartbeat, mild jealousy and all, just for that to still be true and soon!

**Sirius had still been of some help to Harry, even if he couldn't be with him.**

"Well this at least ought to be fun," Sirius muttered, still looking just as surely and violent and doubting that would change any time soon.

**It was the influence of Sirius that Harry even got his stuff in his room, as the Dursley's now lived in fear of doing anything to upset Harry, unlike before where they would lock his stuff along with him under the cupboard under the stairs.**

"That's the least terrible thing they've done," Remus still grumbled under his breath.

**Now that Harry had his godfather as even a vague oversight, they all feared Harry even more, as Harry had conveniently forgotten to mention the part where Sirius was innocent.**

"Ha!" Sirius hadn't expected the bark like laugh to escape from him, but he didn't try to smother it either as it subsided into childish giggles that Harry was using that card, and he couldn't be more proud!

"My little Marauder Junior," James cooed happily, his eyes shining with mirth and pride, "playing them like that about scary old Padfoot."

"I don't know Prongs," Remus gave a wicked grin, "I still wouldn't put it past him to not be innocent much longer when he meets them in person."

"We can only hope," Lily nodded with a devilish grin.

Harry was giving half hearted laughter at what he hoped was all teasing.

**Harry had received two letters from Sirius since he had been back at Privet Drive.**

Sirius beamed, just happy he could be sending letters at all! He of course wished it could be more frequent, but he'd take anything to hear he was still looking out for Harry and still able to.

**Both had been delivered, not by owls, but toucans.**

Harry wasn't the only one who made a startled little noise at that, as he happily exclaimed, "I didn't even know you could use anything other than owls."

"It's like with owls in the wild," Sirius happily smirked, now thinking he wouldn't mind getting his pet owl Buggle a friend, those exotic birds sounded cool. "It's not impossible to find some intelligent enough to be pulling this off, just a little more difficult."

"Unless it was the same one twice, and you made a new friend," Remus teased.

**Both of which had contained well wishes for Harry, promising he was doing fine himself, though never saying where incase the birds were intercepted.**

James carefully placed the book down and marked his spot before actually applauding Sirius, who happily chucked a pillow at him to shut him up, grumbling about how he could be plenty smart when he wanted to. James was still snickering to himself as he kept going.

**Harry really liked the idea of Sirius somewhere with bright sunshine, it was harder to imagine the dementors lingering in the south.**

"They can survive in sunlight, sadly," Remus couldn't stop himself from correcting, "they turn the environment so unpleasant it suits them, so sadly you still don't have a real advantage."

"And this is why you made a great teacher," Sirius rolled his eyes at him, "you, are a killjoy."

Remus made a face at him but declined responding, that stinging more than he'd expected it to.

**He'd finished each letter off with the reminder Harry could call on him about anything, well Harry needed that now. It took him quite some time to write the letter to his satisfaction, but finally Harry had the completed note, which began by telling Sirius about Dudley's diet.**

"Dudley's on a diet!?" Lily repeated, looking nearly faint from shock and trying to peak off James to see if he was fibbing that part.

"Don't think there's a diet in the world to fix that mess," Remus gagged, remembering his last description hadn't been a kind one.

"I just can't believe his parents are doing it, not to their precious little blimp," Sirius managed to both crinkle his nose in disgust at the remembered size of that kid and still sounded disbelieving.

Harry had a slight grin on his face as he nodded confirmation that was true, the memory easily resurfacing now about the pre-tantrum to this having occurred.

**Petunia had caught him smuggling sweets into his bedroom and had told him if he did it again they'd take away his allowance, causing Dudley to have such a fit he threw his PlayStation out the window.**

Before James could break off to ask, Harry inserted, "I tell Sirius what it is."

**Which Harry explained for the pureblood was a sort of computer thing you can play games on.**

James was pretty dang proud of himself that of all the trivial things he'd learned in these past few days, he actually still remembered what a computer was, and he didn't have to ask again.

**Harry reflected he found the whole act rather stupid, as now his cousin didn't have Mega-Mutilation Part Three to entertain himself.**

All four of them went blank faced at that though, finding the title a pretty odd one, and quite violent for a children's game.

**He promised that he was okay, mostly because the Dursley's had a fear Sirius would show up whenever Harry asked and turn them all into fruit bats.**

"That's still pretty tame, and a little foreboding," Sirius muttered, his eyes narrowing with distaste, hoping he'd gotten around to asking in his other two letters why Harry wouldn't be okay there otherwise. Harry kept himself as unconcerned as possible, still avoiding all eyes and really hoping this subject would just be glossed over again, soon.

**He did add on, almost as an afterthought, that his scar had hurt him this morning. He wrote about how the last time that had happened, Voldemort had been at Hogwarts. That wasn't happening now though, right?**

"Thankfully we know the answer to that," Lily still couldn't stop one last shudder, hoping that distance never lessened any.

**Then asked if it was common for old scars to pain years later?**

"Sadly not," Sirius sighed, wishing he was more of an expert on that subject, but still feeling touched Harry trusted him enough to ask at all.

**He signed off and decided against adding the dream,**

"Got too agree with you on that part, Sirius might blow up an island in agitation," Remus tried for a joke, though it came out more feeble than he'd meant as he wasn't too sure he wasn't wrong, Sirius still looked so agitated about who all had been in that dream.

**he didn't want it to look as though he was too worried.**

"I'll bet I saw right past that even in that letter," Sirius still scoffed, looking abundantly pleased with himself, a little too much in James opinion.

**He set the paper aside for when Hedwig came back, then headed down to breakfast.**

"Joyful," James grumbled, giving the book a hard toss to Sirius who deftly caught it and went, none too happy, to the next chapter.

* * *

*Now someone out there, help me with this one, because I'm lost. In every future thing like this, Harry does see from Voldemort's perspective, but this was the same third person perspective as if Harry really had just been looking in the window. That's never explained...and I've got nothing. Harry isn't a Seer, he never has this ability around Voldemort again, I really have no way to explain this. It's from Frank's point of view, and he has no mental connection to him. Would love to hear some theories.


	3. THE INVITATION

Sirius sighed with complete distaste as he began. They were already off to a terrible start with all this Voldemort and the traitor talk, now he got the misfortune of getting the chapter that would most likely turn him into a murderous fool all over again at what these Dursley's had been up to involving his pup.

**Harry went into the kitchen to find the Dursley's already present, Petunia cutting something up while Dudley sat in a chair pouting, his sulking face somehow taking up more space than usual.**

"A feat I hadn't thought possible," James snorted.

**This was saying something, as he always took up an entire side of the square table by himself. When his mother put a quarter of unsweetened grapefruit**

Remus may have felt pity for anyone else, having to eat unsweetened anything, but found that this was probably the best form of torture that could be inflicted on these Dursley's, and it was self-inflicted, so he had no qualms.

**in front of him with a wavering smile, Dudley's glare only intensified upon her. His life, for the first time ever, was not going his way. He'd come home with his end of year school report, and as always Petunia and Vernon found ways to get around most of the comments, such as his failing grades,**

Lily made a scathing noise, vividly remembering how both her's and Petunia's marks had been carefully monitored and if not up to their parents standards they'd at least have a talking to, but compared to what all she'd heard she wouldn't be surprised if Dudley flunked every class and Petunia didn't bat an eye.

**which was brushed aside by Petunia saying his teachers just didn't understand him.**

"Yes, every single teacher at that school misunderstands him; not one of them could grasp, at this elite school they've sent Dudley to, how to teach him," James snorted.

"I don't think Merlin could have taught this fool how to count," Sirius smirked.

**Then there were the reports of bullying, which Petunia claimed were all false as she knew her baby couldn't hurt a fly.**

Harry in particular gave an eye roll at that exaggeration, as he had the childhood marks to prove otherwise.

**What neither of them could explain away though, was the final comment. Even though Petunia claimed Dudley was just big-boned,**

"No, Hagrid has big bones," Remus enunciated as if the idiots were present. "That child has more fat than bone."

**and that he was a growing boy who needed plenty of food,**

"I, really am stumped at just how blind, or stupid she is," Sirius shook his head at how pathetic this kept getting.

**the school simply just didn't make pants in Dudley's size anymore, as he was approximately the same weight as a baby orca.**

"I really cannot picture that, that's just terrible." Lily's frown kept deepening. Even if she didn't like Dudley, it was because of his parents he was this way. It was made all the worse that it mainly seemed to be Petunia's fault he got like this, though Vernon certainly wasn't stepping in to stop anything.

**No matter the fuss Dudley kicked up in protest, which involved the walls of Harry's bedroom shaking from all of the shouting,**

"Considering how he reacted when Harry got his second bedroom, I think we should be grateful shouting seems to have been it," James huffed.

"At least there wasn't a turtle thrown this time, I seem to recall that," Sirius nodded in agreement.

"I'm also fairly certain it was mentioned he kicked one of his parents, so I'm with you on this," Lily grumbled.

**the diet had begun. The school had sent home a sheet for Dudley to follow, filled with a proper nutrition diet. Petunia had decided that if Dudley was to follow this, the whole family was to as well.**

"Wait, what?" Lily yelped, turning concerned eyes on her already malnourished son while he was at that house. "They were on the verge of starving you before, now you're only getting how much?"

Harry though had a new kind of smirk on his face, not one the others saw too often, which only made the boys more excited and happy as he said, "Don't worry, I don't follow it."

Lily did not look encouraged, but James was definitely more eager now to find out how Harry got around this.

**At that time she passed a grapefruit quarter to Harry. He noticed that it was a lot smaller than Dudley's.**

"Are you kidding me?" Sirius frowned. "You had to be the skinniest one at that table, but you still somehow got less food than Dudley?"

Harry gave an absent shrug, well aware of Petunia's view that if Harry suffered just that little more than Dudley it was somehow okay.

**Petunia seemed to feel that the best way to keep up Dudley's morale was to make sure that he did, at least, get more to eat than Harry.**

"No! No that is not how that works, you foul horrible excuse for a person!" Lily seethed. "One boy should not have to suffer to make the other feel better! Merlin Petunia, is that why you went out of your way to try and ruin my life growing up?" Lily went on a tangent for a few more minutes before she finally ran out of steam. There was a lot more colorful and violent things tossed in there, which left the boys shrinking back in genuine fright, even if they did agree. She'd clearly been wanting to say all of that for quite some time, and just seemed to have finally found her perfect opportunity. It was quite the opposite reaction she'd had from back in the first book when Petunia had called her sister a freak when Hagrid had arrived, all of this had probably been building since then. She finally came to a stop taking deep and slow breaths, then looked around half ashamed as she muttered, "Sorry, didn't mean to take that out on you lot."

James relaxed when he realized the worst was over and placed a gentle arm around her, saying, "Nah, best to get it all out. Want to start in on anyone else?"

"It might just be you if you don't keep reading," Lily returned, trying for a normal smile.

James wasn't actually sure if she was kidding or not, so he decided it was best not to test her.

**What Petunia, or any of the Dursley's, didn't know though, was that Harry wasn't following this diet at all. The moment he'd caught wind of living off of lettuce all summer, he'd sent pleading notes to his friends.**

"Really, really would have liked to read those," Remus frowned, wondering how on earth Harry could've phrased this so it wouldn't be so alarming that at least the Weasley's would have said something to Dumbledore. Harry was asking his friends to send him food, how on earth could that be considered normal? Shouldn't someone have come and checked on him because of that?

The others were thinking the exact same thing, but as always when they looked expectantly at Harry like they wanted him to elaborate, he ignored everyone's eye and instead looked pleadingly to the book like he was hoping it would read itself to get him out of this. Sirius was feeling pretty confident by now that if he confronted Harry he could probably whittle enough he might really tell him now. James, on the other hand, clearly wasn't as he recognized his son still didn't want to talk about this and not wanting to force it out of him kept going.

**Each had complied, first Hermione by sending Harry some sugar free snacks, courtesy of her dentist parents.**

"I don't think Harry phrased it the way we were thinking if all he's going to get in return is snacks," Lily sighed, starting to feel a little fidgety again. She really didn't want to spend any time on the thought that her son was only living on tiny snacks and carrot sticks, definitely not the proper nutrition a growing boy needed.

**Then Hagrid had sent over some rock cakes for him.**

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure Harry's still in the starving category with that," Sirius muttered.

**Which Harry hadn't been able to eat or do anything with, as he was well aware of Hagrid's poor culinary skill,**

'Honestly making me wonder why you wrote to tell Hagrid at all,' Remus couldn't help but think, but held that one in.

**Ron's mother though, sent Harry a cart load of food with their aging owl, including several meat pies and fruitcakes.**

James couldn't help a little snort of surprise. He could just imagine Ron receiving his letter from Harry asking if he could be sent a snack or something, and this was Molly's response? What would she do if she knew the full extent of Harry's stay there? He was actually hoping to hear about this now.

**Then when Harry's birthday had arrived, which the Dursley's had ignored as usual,**

Was it sadder that they weren't surprised anymore, or that it still bothered them just as much as the first time to hear that? Just the fact that they continually, no matter what, kept doing their very best to leave Harry at his worst left them with the desire to strangle the lot of them every time!

**he'd received a cake from each friend, plus Sirius.**

James lost it. He was reduced into almost hysterical laughter as he tried to imagine Sirius filching a cake from a bakery to send to Harry, or even better, trying to break into someone's house just to pull this off. Of all the things for him to be doing while on the run! Sirius wasn't a particularly good cook, he'd never had to learn, so the idea was made all the more laughable if the second were true and Sirius went through a few trials before he'd mailed a cake off to Harry with one of those tropical birds!

"Oh come on," Lily wheezed not looking much better herself. "I think it's sweet."

"Thank you Lily," Sirius said with a snooty voice. He was proud of himself for considering something like this, he more than owed it to Harry.

Remus was the only one who couldn't bring himself to even muster up a smile, hunkering down in his seat and deciding this was the final straw, he officially had completely forgotten about Harry. He must have decided when he left Hogwarts he was just leaving everything. Maybe he was just busy, searching down that traitor and not even realizing the passing time, but it still didn't sit right with him he'd completely phased back out of Harry's life without any mention. He didn't think the others noticed, he certainly hoped they wouldn't as he had no way to explain himself.

**Harry still had two of them left,**

"I still can't say I'm happy with this," Lily really did settle back down with a crinkled nose. "They'd surely go stale, and you don't need to be living off of just cake any more than carrot sticks."

"Better than no food at all," Sirius grumbled, which Lily acknowledged.

**and so looking forward to a much better breakfast, Harry picked up his spoon to begin eating while Petunia passed Vernon his own slice. When he saw this he muttered if this was it, and Petunia merely shot a look at a sulking Dudley who had already wolfed down his own. Before Vernon could start in on his, there was a knock at the door, and Vernon got up to answer it. The moment he was out of sight and his mother wasn't watching, Dudley had snatched the fruit away and downed it as well.**

"He's probably going to get in trouble for that, and I still don't care." James rolled his eyes.

**Harry could hear muffled voices talking, then the sound of ripping paper. Before anyone could wonder on it, Vernon reappeared, his gaze landing on Harry, the expression already unpleasant as he snarled at him to get into the living room.**

All five of them either groaned or sighed, either for the 'you' comment or because Harry had just woken up, what could he be blamed for already?

**Harry followed him in and sat down on the couch as Vernon marched in front of him, having the pose of a man about to announce his being arrested,**

"He wishes." Harry muttered.

**and began by saying 'so.'**

"So what?" Sirius snapped.

**Harry's first instinct was to reply, 'so what'**

"And you actually restrained yourself?" James cocked a brow in surprise. "I am impressed."

**but decided not to press Vernon's temper.**

Lily's eyes narrowed with furious curiosity, pondering at the phrasing of that as she didn't like to think of that man's temper at all.

**So he instead waited silently as Vernon continued by telling Harry Vernon had received a letter, concerning Harry.**

"Who'd be writing to you through Muggle mail?" Remus asked, distracted from his own self-pity for now to think on this.

"Search me," Harry shrugged, now mimicking the expression of puzzled.

**Harry was confused at once, as he had no idea who it could be from. Vernon flipped open the letter and began reading, saying it was from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and how they must have heard about them already through Harry.**

"Ah, so it's from one of Ron's parents," Lily stated, though this still managed to increase their confusion. Why would they be writing to the Dursley's like this? A few interesting things came to mind, but it didn't seem the Weasley's type.

"And a big no to that by the way," Sirius muttered in reference to the actual letter, as he was well aware Harry wouldn't go talking to the Dursley's about needing new socks, let alone chatting about his friends.

**The letter then went on to say that Arthur Weasley had procured tickets for the upcoming Quidditch World Cup,**

James couldn't help a little squeal as he read that. Prime tickets! His son was going to see the World Cup in person! While he would never not be agitated at the very existence of the Dursley's, at least this was something good he could latch onto.

**and she was writing to them hoping that Harry could come stay with them for the rest of the summer while he attended. She asked that Harry would respond with an answer in the normal way, as she wasn't sure the postman knew where they lived.**

"I'm going with probably not," Remus smiled warmly, thinking that most muggle posts wouldn't be able to find a wizard village.

**She added on at the end by signing her name as Molly Weasley, and adding a postscript that she hoped there were enough stamps on the letter.**

"What does she mean enough?" Lily asked, already a smile creeping onto her face at this prospect.

**In response to that, Vernon pulled the envelope out of his pocket and flashed it at Harry, who had to fight down the urge to laugh at the sight of it.**

"Really, I don't know how you pull that off," Sirius said eagerly.

**Every bit of it was covered in stamps except for a square inch on the front, into which Mrs. Weasley had squeezed the Dursley's address in minute writing.**

Only James was left frowning in mild confusion as he read that, but he didn't have to really ask as the others burst into laughter, he could guess that perhaps she had put too many stamps on, though he found it an honest enough mistake as he wasn't even sure why Muggles would put stamps on their mail.

Lily smiled indulgently as she approved, "I give her credit for asking like that and trying to be polite, even enough to do it the Muggle way."

"At least somebody appreciates it," Remus nodded in agreement, knowing Vernon wouldn't feel the same.

**Harry responded that she had put enough stamps on it then, in a tone implying Mrs. Weasley's was a common enough mistake.**

"Because it was," James snorted, much to the amusement of everyone else who nearly started cracking up again at the realization he would have done the exact same thing.

**Vernon's eyes flashed as he snapped that the mailman had noticed.**

"Be a little more worried if he didn't," Sirius mocked.

**That's why he had knocked on the door, he'd thought it was funny.**

"Well how dare he," Remus sneered.

**Harry chose not to respond. Anyone else would be confused at Vernon's reaction,**

"Damn near wish I was," Lily hissed, still wanting more than anything to have never come across this name.

**but Harry was well aware how much the Dursley's hated anything that was even slightly out of the norm. Their worst fear was that anyone would know they were in contact with people like the Weasley's.**

"Then they're in for a very nasty surprise." James grinned, though it had something lingering that made it very obvious this wasn't meant to be pleasant.

**Vernon was still glaring at Harry like he expected a response. Harry knew he had to play this very carefully, if he did he'd be in for a real treat. Harry broke the silence first,**

"Pretty sure that's because stringing words together is too complicated for his pea brain," Sirius muttered.

**and simply asked if he could go. Vernon's face twitched, and Harry had a very good idea what was running through his mind, as Vernon's two fundamental rules came into play. Letting Harry go would make him happy, something Vernon strived against.**

"I think I've successfully called him everything under the sun at this point," Remus groused, "and it's still not enough to cover how wrong that is."

**On the flip side, letting Harry go would get him away from them that much sooner, as Vernon hated having Harry in the house.**

"I hate having him in that house too," Lily snapped.

**Instead of answering he began skimming over the letter again, asking who it was from with great disgust.**

"I'm not surprised he automatically despises anyone who'd be writing to Harry," James sighed.

**Harry reminded that Vernon had seen her before, she was at the platform from Hog- then he quickly cut himself off and rephrased, from his school.**

It really bothered Sirius that Harry still couldn't speak freely in that house, like he was conditioned even before he knew Sirius would back him up now. Harry must know that Vernon couldn't do anything to Harry now no matter what he said, or Sirius would apparate there faster than Vernon's eyes could flash. He glanced at his godson now to see he looked just as sheepish and closed off as he always did whenever his life at the Dursley's was ever brought up.

**Harry knew better than to go saying Hogwarts, as the name of his school was forbidden from being spoken in this house. Vernon's face screwed up as he tried to recall this, asking if she was the dumpy woman.**

"Dumpy!" Lily yelped in outrage. She knew for a fact that Vernon had no right to be tossing that word around to anyone when his son's fat arse couldn't fit into a recognized sizeable pair of pants!

"That was a low blow, even from him," Sirius snarled, while the other three boys said something equal, Harry loudest of all. He may have held his tongue while in the face of Vernon, but he couldn't stand anyone saying that kind of thing about the woman who'd been so kind to him with no reason to.

**Harry frowned reproachfully at Vernon, finding it rich of Vernon to be calling anyone dumpy when his own son was wider than he was tall.**

The lot of them were still so angry they didn't even take the chance to laugh at the expense of Dudley again.

**Vernon clearly didn't notice as he went back to the letter, and asked what rubbish Quidditch was.**

"As if I didn't hate him enough already," James blustered.

**Harry felt another shot of annoyance as he began to explain it was a sport played on broom- but Vernon cut him off with a yelp, clearly unable to stand hearing the word broomstick.**

"Really? That word is too much for him?" Remus frowned, more confused than anything on this one. "What does he call the broom he uses to clean the kitchen?"

"Probably his wife's second husband," Sirius muttered under his breath.

**He instead went back to the letter, and asked how Harry should respond 'in the normal way?' Harry explained she meant normal for wizards, using owl post.**

Sirius began bouncing in place and laughing again all at once, more than happy to hear Harry had seemed to brush right past his earlier problem and was saying whatever the bloody hell he wanted to now. If Vernon did anything about it, Harry could just bring up his name and this good for nothing _caretaker_ of Harry's would back down at once!

**Vernon looked furious as if Harry had just started cussing at him. His eyes flickered to the window, like he expected someone to be there with their ear pressed to the glass.**

"You mean they don't?" Lily mock demanded. "They're missing out on some golden opportunities."

**He began shouting at Harry for mentioning that unnaturalness under his roof!**

"You're calling my son unnatural?!" James demanded. "I've met saner people then you at Sirius' house."

Sirius cocked his head to the side like he was considering that, before nodding and saying, "Yeah, I'll give you that one."

**His face began changing colors along with his outrage as he snapped that Harry was being ungrateful, lounging around in the clothes he'd put on his back!**

"They aren't even Harry's!" Remus snapped.

**Harry snapped back only after Dudley was through with them. Harry was currently wearing a sweater so large he had to roll the sleeves back five times, and pants so big he had to use every last notch of his belt to keep them in place.**

Lily groaned into her hands, hating to think of her baby being forced to dress in something like that when those same people bought their own son whatever, whenever he asked.

**Vernon roared back he wouldn't tolerate Harry speaking to him like that!**

"Oh yes you will." Sirius shot back dangerously, looking pretty close to the same description. He couldn't stand just sitting here while Harry had to take this, and he should have been able to step in and say something rather than not even being in the picture!

**Harry stood his ground though, he wasn't going to take any of the Dursley's stupid rules anymore.**

"Least Harry's really fighting back now," James said with genuine praise. He still feared retribution from them, they were older than Harry and could still get away with something before Harry got a chance to make a run for it, but Harry wasn't ten years old anymore either. By this age he'd definitely had enough in him to at least scare them enough he could make a run for it again like he had last year if this conversation went too bad. He realized how sad this was to think about, that Harry couldn't hold one conversation with this man, and already James was fearing the worst and half hoping his son really would bolt again.

**Harry was not going to eat that stupid diet, and he was going to the Quidditch World Cup. Since he wouldn't win by just shouting that though, Harry instead redirected by asking if he could be excused, he had a letter he needed to write to Sirius, his godfather.**

"Ah the magic words," Remus beamed, knowing if this reminder didn't put Vernon in his place nothing would.

**Harry watched with satisfaction as Vernon's face went from red fueled rage to blotchy white like sour ice-cream.**

"Fascinating description as always dear," Lily gave a soft giggle, even as stressed as her husband she couldn't overlook that.

**He rasped out that Harry kept in contact with him? Harry was pleased to see his eyes were now dilating in fear.**

"As they should," James sneered.

"I don't know, I'm still a little offended it wasn't worse," Sirius gave a mock pout. "Think I'm losing my touch? My name should at least cause him the runs."

"Why don't you go fake murder a few more people?" Remus offered. "I'm sure that'll do it."

"That's a great idea," Sirius beamed, though there was a glint in his dark eyes showing he wasn't kidding anymore. "I know just where to start."

James gave an appreciative laugh while Harry eyed Sirius again, always unsure and at least half hoping they really didn't mean those jokes.

**Harry shrugged like this was obvious, saying of course he did, all the time. Sirius liked him to keep in touch, to make sure nothing was wrong. Harry paused then and watched the pieces fall into place in Vernon's head as he realized that if he tried to stop Harry writing to his Godfather, Sirius would think Harry was mistreated. If Harry wrote and told that he couldn't go to the Cup, Sirius would know Harry was being mistreated.**

"Least he can work that out." Lily shrugged. "Now I'm just wondering how hard it would be for him to understand the concept of feeding you."

"One step at a time," Harry shrugged, more than happy to point out, "and since I'm leaving now, it's no longer a problem anymore."

"Still wish you'd mentioned something to me in the first place," Sirius grumbled.

Harry pursed his lips, knowing full well why he wouldn't tell Sirius a thing about the Dursley's feeding him like that, let alone anything else. He was too worried about Sirius coming back, and the most dangerous place for him to be was around the Dursley's. He'd never risk Sirius possibly getting caught, and there was just no point in telling him things that had already happened, something he was still adamant about.

**Finally Vernon relented, telling Harry to go on and tell whoever he liked he could go to this Cup thing, but the Weasley's were to pick Harry up! Then he added on to make sure he told his Godfather.**

"Pretty sure he nearly broke his jaw getting all of that out," Harry beamed, getting almost giggly he was so happy to hear that. He was getting to spend the rest of his summer with Ron. He was going to see the World Cup! He was leaving the Dursley's and didn't have to keep avoiding his family's burning questions.

**Harry beamed as he got to his feet and had to forcefully stop himself from whooping as he went to the stairs. He was going over to the Weasley's! He was going to see the Quidditch World Cup!**

"Best news I've heard yet." James nodded, finally forcing some real cheer into himself and clinging to it as long as he could.

"Why couldn't we have just started with that?" Lily agreed.

**Harry nearly ran into Dudley out in the hall, who'd clearly been lurking and hoping to hear Harry getting told off.**

"Yeah, that brings up a few more memories," Remus snorted.

**He was clearly stunned to see the smile on Harry.**

"I'm sure it is a rarity for Harry to ever smile around there," Sirius grumbled.

**Harry pleasantly told Dudley as he passed that he'd quite enjoyed breakfast, and was plenty full from it.**

James couldn't help a little snort of mirth, finding it the perfect cherry to rub Dudley's face in at the end.

**Then Harry went pelting into his room, only to be hit in the side of the head by what resembled a feathery tennis ball.**

Lily hadn't a second to worry what could be making her son yelp in pain, but instead burst out laughing at the description along with everyone else. She wasn't even sure what it was that could be pelting Harry like that, but judging by the fact that Harry was rubbing that exact spot in remembered pain but looking more amused than anything, she had no fears it was anything bad.

**Harry rubbed at the spot as he eyed the owl zooming above his head, twittering madly with excitement.**

"Wasn't that how Ron's new owl was described at the end of the last book?" Sirius perked up even more.

"Why would Ron be sending Harry a letter? Surely his mum told him she was sending something to the Muggles to ask the same thing," Remus asked.

"What does that have to do with Ron talking to his friend?" James rolled his eyes.

**Harry found the birds dropped parcel, and recognized Ron's handwriting in big capital letters exclaiming how his dad had gotten the tickets!**

Lily couldn't repress another smirk, James sounded more excited about this than anything he'd read yet. The only comparison was when he was reading about Harry's quidditch games, and those hadn't lasted long before he got upset again. Even if she didn't care for the sport much, she was genuinely happy to see her husband lighting up at anything again.

**The game would be Ireland versus Bulgaria.**

Sirius couldn't even find it in himself to be disappointed his favorite team hadn't made the league, he was pent up with too much excitement to care as he exclaimed, "Yes, Kenmare Kestrels vs Vratsa Vultures!"

"I wonder how many new players are in the lineup," James began, before he launched into a whole speal about nearly every Quidditch team, much to Lily's groan of displeasure. Yet she still couldn't bring herself to interrupt them or stop them as all of the boys joined in, she figured she'd let them have this while they could, so she went over to Remus and took baby Harry upstairs to check on his diaper. By the time she came back down and they were still in full swing she simply nestled herself back into the couch next to her husband and began entertaining her charge by producing colorful puffs of smoke for his entertainment. The high pitched giggling noise of the child finally drew the reappearance of her cat Hickory, who padded up onto her lap, curled himself around baby Harry, and began purring contently as the game chat continued.

The picture perfect scene turned out to be just that, as Lily heard a soft click and looked up to realize that Sirius had that grin on her face which meant she was going to regret asking, "Sirius, what did you do?"

"Nothing," he said at once, stuffing something back behind him. She glanced up and saw James trying to smother a laugh as he said, "We just realized how bored you got, so how about we press on?"

She smirked at them, they knew full well that hadn't worked on her, but didn't protest either.

**He knew his mother had sent something to the Muggles Harry lived with, but Ron had decided to send his own note with Pig.**

"Pig?" Remus interrupted in confusion.

The books print was clear as day, and Sirius just shrugged saying, "Don't ask me," while he kept going.

**Harry paused in his reading to look hard at the word 'Pig' before glancing up at the owl still swirling above his head. He'd never seen anything that looked less like a pig.**

Harry wanted to laugh and say his old rat hadn't exactly looked like a scab either, clearly Ron just wasn't too adept at naming his pets, but chose not to bring that up as the others continued laughing at this, he wasn't going to be the one to bring the good mood back down.

**Maybe he couldn't read Ron's writing.**

"Can't imagine what other word that could be," Lily giggled.

**So he instead went back to the letter, where Ron had written that they were coming to get Harry whether those Muggles agreed or not,**

"Forever adore your best friend," Sirius' grin got even wider at that.

**that Harry couldn't miss this game, Ron's parents had just decided it would be politer to pretend to ask first.**

"Pretend," Remus choked, trying to stuff his own fist in his mouth to not laugh so loud Sirius would stop.

**He told Harry to send back his answer as soon as possible, and either way they'd be there at five o'clock on Sunday for him.**

James was bouncing in place so much he was starting to agitate the cat, but he just couldn't stop! He was so excited to hear about this, Harry getting away from the Dursley's more than anything, but the Cup!

**He added on at the end that Hermione was already over at his place, and that Percy had gotten a job at the Department of International Magical Cooperation.**

"Well good for him," Lily grinned, that was a great step in reaching his ambition of becoming Minister, best Department he could have stepped into for the political side.

**Ron then begged Harry not to mention anything about Abroad, or they'd all be bored stupid.**

Then she sighed, knowing she and Percy's parents were most likely the only ones actually happy for him. Honestly she really pitied Percy sometimes, she wished Harry would mention the boy had more friends he could talk to.

**Ron signed off then, and Harry looked back up at the owl who was clearly still pleased with itself to having delivered its letter to the correct person.**

"A very good accomplishment," Sirius snickered.

**He walked over to his desk and wrote out a quick letter to Ron, saying the Muggles had agreed it was okay he could go, and he couldn't wait for Sunday.**

"Neither can I," all four boys muttered one last time, still unable to cap their excitement for this.

**It took Harry a moment to catch the excited bird and get his letter attached it was fidgeting around so much, but then it was gone. Harry went back to his first letter to Sirius, adding a postscript that by the time Sirius received this letter he'd be at Ron's place and on his way to the Quidditch World Cup.**

"I'm pretty sure you'll now be fighting the impulse to ask Harry if his dog can come along," Remus muttered under his breath. Sirius got the gist of the joke anyways, and couldn't even deny he liked the idea.

**Then he tied the letter off to Hedwig who took off as well, leaving Harry alone to enjoy his cake, savoring the happiness flooding through him right now.**

"As are we," Lily nodded, giving her wand another little twist and creating a puff of purple smoke for her babies delight.

**He had cake, and Dudley had nothing but grapefruit;**

"There's the bright side!" Sirius cackled.

**it was a bright summer's day, he would be leaving Privet Drive tomorrow, his scar felt perfectly normal again, and he was going to watch the Quidditch World Cup. It was hard, just now, to feel worried about anything - even Lord Voldemort.**

"I hope you keep that feeling, just for this year," Sirius sighed as he passed Harry the book, knowing by now that asking for anything more would be a miracle in itself.


	4. BACK TO THE BURROW

A genuine, huge amount of thanks to Tate for the Beta and suggestions to make this more readable for all of you!

* * *

Harry found himself flipping to the next chapter with a smile on his face, and he put it all down to the fact that he was headed over to the Burrow house!

**Harry had all of his treasured possession packed in no time, including his Invisibility Cloak he'd inherited from his father, and his Firebolt that Sirius had given him,**

James couldn't help a little smirk, at least his cloak was mentioned first.

**and his Marauders Map. He'd cleaned out his loose floorboard, made sure every corner of his room was free of his belongings, and even took down the chart he always had hanging up marking the days until he went back to school. The rest of the house lay in a tense silence, the known coming of assorted wizards**

"Assorted," Lily sniffed at their typical over exaggeration. "It's going to be Ron, one of his parents, and that's it. They might try to make pleasant conversation for five seconds before they realize you're a waste of space and be done."

**was making the Dursley's more irritable than normal.**

Sirius couldn't help but squirm in agitation. He hated to think of Harry there when they were in a good mood, he didn't like to think of him being around when they were even more bad tempered with him than normal.

**Harry left his trunk in his room and chose to sit on the stairs as five o'clock came around, and when Vernon caught sight of him he snapped at Harry that these people had better have dressed right.**

"Oh yes, because they're so likely to come in their nightgowns," Remus snorted.

**He'd seen the garb they chose to wear, and they'd better have the courtesy to show up in normal clothing.**

"What does he mean by normal?" James frowned.

"If they showed up in their best black tie, Vernon would still hate them, so it doesn't really matter," Lily huffed.

**Harry flashed back to the two Weasley parents, who he'd never seen outside of their robes. This didn't bother Harry, but he now felt a stirring of nerves at how the Dursley's might treat them when they showed up looking like their idea of the worst kind of wizards.**

All five of them were frowning for that very same reason now, none of them wanted to hear about this exchange. It might have the one benefit of making the Weasley's look further into Harry's care there, it just sort of depended on how bad this got.

**Vernon chose to put on his best suit for the night, and while some might think this a kind gesture,**

"Sadly we know better," Sirius sighed.

**Harry knew it was because Vernon wanted to look impressive and intimidating.**

"A feat he would marvelously fail at no matter what he's wearing," Remus scathed.

**Dudley was behaving peculiarly as well, out of fear. The last time he'd met a fully grown wizard, he'd come out of the exchange with a pigs tail,**

"Still one of my favorite moments," Sirius snickered.

**which his parents had to pay to remove. Dudley was clearly still scarred by the event, as the closer the time approached, the more often he could be seen rubbing his bum, and walking sideways through the rooms so as not to present the same target.**

James didn't even try to smother his cackle, that was hilarious and deserved.

**Lunch was a mute meal. Dudley didn't even protest at the food, cottage cheese and grated celery.**

Lily shuddered in protest of imagining her poor boy eating that, thankful that the moment Harry arrived at the Weasley's they'd stuff more than enough food down him.

**Petunia wasn't eating at all, but instead spent the time chewing on her tongue, as though forcing herself not to shoot something nasty at Harry.**

"I'm not even going to ask for what," Remus rolled his eyes.

**Vernon was the first to speak up by demanding of Harry that they'd be arriving by car of course.**

That gave them all a pause, as they considered this for the first time. The most common way for them to travel was apparition, but neither of Ron's parents would attempt that with two minors.

"Maybe Mr. Weasley did get another car and flew, err, drove it there," James offered with a small smirk.

"I somehow doubt it," Lily huffed. "After the catastrophe of the last one, even with the end results."

"Well then, I've got nothing." Remus shrugged, waving Harry on with curiosity now.

**Harry wasn't sure of the answer, as the Weasley's didn't own a car anymore. Mr. Weasley had been able to get one from work before though, so it was possible he'd done so again.**

"Makes sense," Lily nodded in agreement.

**He agreed out loud, and waited expectantly for Vernon to ask what model. He was known for judging people on how expensive their cars were,**

"Can't say I'm remotely surprised," Sirius mumbled.

**but he didn't, and Harry doubted whether Vernon would have taken to Mr. Weasley even if he drove a Ferrari.**

James just rolled his eyes, he didn't need to ask to grasp that this must just be a very nice style of car.

**After dinner he went back up to his bedroom, unable to stand watching the others obsessively check out the window as if a wild rhino would come up the drive any second.**

Remus couldn't help a little snort of surprise at such a random comparison, though he rather liked the idea.

**When it was fifteen till though, Harry went back to sit on the stairs to find Vernon pretending to read a newspaper, and Dudley managing to smush himself into a chair. Harry hated the tension building,**

"Really, because I'm rather enjoying it." James couldn't help a little sneer, any discomfort those Dursley's ever carried managing to vindictively cheer him up.

**as five o'clock came and then went.**

"Uh oh," Sirius muttered, raising a brow in surprise.

"Maybe Arthur got stuck at the office" Lily offered with a small frown, thinking there were plenty of logical reasons as to why either he or Molly could be running late.

"Or traffic," Remus agreed, unable to get his tone quite to the carless level he wanted.

They were probably all being paranoid for no reason, but it was hard to fight off after so many stressful days in a row. They really needed this to just be some simple mistake, and not something terrible having happened to the Weasley's next.

**Vernon stomped to the door, checked the street to be sure, then turned on Harry and snapped that they were late!**

"And you're an arse," Lily muttered. She was sure it wasn't five minutes and he was already jumping at Harry for it.

**Harry offered back that they'd probably got caught in traffic, but then another quarter of time passed and Harry was starting to get on edge himself.**

Harry was trying, as lightly as possible, to dig at his feelings and wonder if that anxious feeling got worse, and was pleased to find he didn't think the night ended too badly. Surely that meant nothing disastrous happened, it really was just an innocent mistake of being late. His tone carried that as he kept reading, managing to relax the others a little bit.

**At half past, he heard Vernon and Petunia conversing in mutters about how they had no consideration for anyone.**

"It's not as if they could call you and tell you," Lily rolled her eyes.

**How the Dursley's might have had somewhere else to be and were being kept! Petunia offered that maybe they thought they'd be invited to dinner if they were late enough.**

"Who on earth thinks like that?" Sirius scoffed.

**Vernon snapped back this would not even be considered! They'd pick up the boy and be gone. If they were even still coming, they'd probably gotten the wrong day of the week.**

"I somehow doubt that," James scoffed, thinking that at least Ron would have mailed something to Harry otherwise.

**not that they cared about other people's time.**

Remus sighed, sick of listening to this man categorize the whole of wizards, he hated stereotyping in general.

**Either that or their tin-pot of a car they were driving broke do- but the rest of his sentence was cut off by a cry of shock.**

Lily couldn't help but start when Harry started up with that noise, all eyes now watching him wearily like Harry was fixing to announce something had been set on fire.

**Harry ran for the living room just as Dudley came waddling out. He demanded to know what had happened, but Dudley couldn't bring himself to say anything. His hands holding firmly to his arse, he made his ungainly way to the kitchen.**

"His safe haven," Sirius nodded absently.

**Harry made his way into the living room, and found the source of the disturbance, behind the Dursley's boarded up fireplace could be heard someone banging against the wall.**

The second Sirius recognized what Harry was describing, he cracked up laughing, managing to melt all tension in the room. "Someone," he managed to gasp, "someone's got themselves stuck in the chimney!"

"They tried to Floo there." Lily added with an indulgent grin.

"Why would you board up a fireplace?" James asked, a crazy smile on his own face at how absurd the idea was.

"Some Muggles prefer electric fireplaces," Remus shrugged, not bothering to cover his mirth one bit. "What I'm curious is how the Weasley's even pulled this off, Muggle fireplaces aren't connected to the Floo."

"I'm assuming Arthur worked something out with the Ministry," Lily managed while still half giggling.

**Petunia had backed up into the farthest wall as she demanded of Vernon what this could be, but Harry had no doubts as he heard a voice cry out in pain against someone named Fred,**

"Fred?" Remus repeated in surprise. "Why would the twins come along?"

"Why wouldn't they?" James smirked "Just an innocent pick up of their friend."

"Probably told their dad they wanted to see a Muggle house in daylight, he'd have eaten that right up," Remus agreed.

"I'm surprised Molly let them, after the last time they snuck off there," Lily said.

**trying to tell him to go back,**

"How were they supposed to get back?" Sirius chuckled "They'd have to Floo, and there's clearly no fire, or setting a fire while they're stuck in there."

James was now at least pretending to suppress his laughter as he stuffed his fist in his mouth to keep hearing what was happening. No one had an actual answer for Sirius though, so Harry kept going.

**and warn someone, but then there was another yelp of pain and two voices exclaiming to someone named George, now trying to tell him to go back as well and warn Ron not to come. One of the twins began to ask if maybe Harry could help them out, and then all three began pounding at once on the wall calling out for Harry.**

Harry was having trouble keeping his own amusement under a lid as he kept going. Oh he'd been able to hear every word, and though he felt plenty bad for the fix they'd wound up in, the situation was too priceless not to at least give a little chuckle.

**The Dursley's rounded on Harry like a pair of angry wolverines.**

The smile slipped right off of Lily's face at least, detesting that the very first thing they did was turn on Harry in anger for something he'd had no control over. It didn't matter how many times she heard it happen to him, she would never not hate it.

**Vernon demanded to know what was going on, and Harry tried to explain that they'd tried to travel here by Floo, while fighting down a mad desire to laugh.**

"Oh Harry, it's not mad at all." Sirius' grin was still getting wider the longer this dragged on, still picturing those three squashed together like that the funniest thing he'd heard in days. "I should know, I'm an expert."

Remus gave him the stank eye for the joke, like he would have smacked him if he could reach, and Sirius happily stuck his tongue out at him since he couldn't for the time being.

**He still explained that they could go places by fire, but since they'd blocked theirs up they couldn't get through. Then Harry pitched his voice louder, directing at Mr. Weasley now, explaining this same thing that they couldn't get through. Mr. Weasley asked why on earth it was boarded up, and Harry explained it was electric. Mr. Weasley turned excited at once, demanding to know if it was with a plug?**

James was definitely curious enough to ask, but strung together that a plug must somehow help run the electricity, so he squashed it and filed it away for later.

**He was muttering to himself how he very much wanted to see that, when there was a final cry of pain and all three shouted Ron's name. Harry could hear his best friend's voice come out in confusion, asking if something had gone wrong. Harry heard Fred reply with sarcasm in every syllable that they were exactly where they'd planned.**

All five of them fell with refreshed laughter, truly unable to stop themselves as they kept imagining how squished that tiny space was getting, and now hoping Ginny, Molly, or Percy hadn't been invited along as well.

**While George added on that they were just having the time of their lives, his voice coming out muffled, like his face was against a wall.**

"I can imagine," James voice quaked with laughter as he got that out.

**Mr. Weasley shushed them, before deciding that he had no other choice. He cautioned Harry to get back, who retreated all the way behind the sofa.**

"I guess he's going to blast his way out of there," Sirius was still wiping happy tears from his eyes, not at all sorry for laughing at the expense of the poor Weasley boys, he knew for a fact his friends would laugh at him if this exact same circumstances happened to him.

"Wouldn't I get into trouble for that though?" Harry frowned. "Magic's not allowed at my house."

"They shouldn't say anything to you, since the Ministry knows Arthur's coming to get you," Lily shrugged. "There might be an inquiry, but it would be Arthur who explains why he did it, so you're in the clear this time."

**Vernon though, moved forward.**

"Course he did," James lit up all the more, "and I hope he pays for it."

**Beginning to shout in protest, but his warning was not heeded as there was a tremendous BANG, and Arthur, Fred, George, and Ron came tumbling out all coated in dust with rubble and loose bits of brick flying across the living room.**

All five of them got one good last laugh as they pictured a clown car like tumble out of that cramped space.

**Petunia screeched in fear and nearly fainted, but Vernon caught her and hid her behind him, both of them now coated in dust as well, speechless as they gaped at all of the red heads. Mr. Weasley got to his feet first, dusting himself off and checking his kids before catching sight of the other occupants and greeting them as Harry's Aunt and Uncle.**

Their good mood still lingered enough that they only got a small twist of their lips in displeasure at such a statement, rather than the full blown rant of hatred each of them felt at such a relation.

**Arthur moved toward Vernon, his hand outstretched,**

"Good of him to start with some manners," Sirius muttered, humor still gleaming in his eyes as he now wanted to shake Arthur's hand for scaring the Dursley's crapless like that.

**but Vernon shrank back, still keeping his wife behind him. Words seemed to fail them both, as the white powder began to settle in their hair, apparently aging them by thirty years.**

"Guess he should clean that place out more often," Remus smirked.

**Mr. Weasley glanced at his surroundings more properly now and began to say how sorry he was for this mess,**

"I'm not" James said sincerely.

**apologizing and saying how it was all his fault, and he'd fix it up at once. He just had to Floo the boy's home, he'd fix this up in a jiffy, and then he could apparate back. He hadn't even realized he couldn't get out this way, of course most Muggle fireplaces weren't hooked up to the Floo network, but Arthur had a special connection so he'd managed it just for this afternoon.**

"Arthur seems pretty well connected all over." Lily noted, hadn't he also gotten those World Cup tickets from work? She found him a pleasant man and she'd never even met him. It didn't really surprise her though, as the longer she thought about it, she supposed several parts of the Ministry would have to go talk to the Muggle office for several things.

**Harry was ready to bet that the Dursley's hadn't understood a single word of this.**

"That's their own fault," Sirius scoffed. "Maybe if they were decent people, Harry would have explained all of it to them."

**They were still standing there, gaping at him. Arthur didn't seem to notice as he turned his attention to Harry, asking if he was ready to go, had his trunk all packed? Harry agreed, and that it was upstairs. The twins volunteered to go get it, as they knew right where it was, having once rescued Harry from this house.**

"Still love the term rescue," Remus muttered, sad how fitting the description was.

**Harry suspected that Fred and George were hoping for a glimpse of Dudley; they had heard a lot about him from Harry.**

"Really, like what?" James asked in surprise, as this hadn't ever come up before.

"Just some of the wilder things he's done like his tantrums and such." Harry shrugged, "I used to compare him and Malfoy a lot back in first year, plus how fat Dudley was. Had a bit of a laugh when I sent Ron that letter that Dudley was on a diet, I suppose he would have showed that to Fred and George."

This rather intrigued the others, as Harry kept himself so closed off in any retelling of the Dursley's, it was rare he ever elaborated on whatever the book showed, that it was interesting indeed he'd clearly shared some of it with at least Ron and his brothers as a laugh. It didn't erase the darker things they wondered about what went on in that house, and Harry's face still clearly showed now he didn't want to talk about it. He proved that by continuing to read as soon as he was done explaining.

**Mr. Weasley agreed as they left, then began swinging his arms awkwardly as he complimented the nice house.**

Lily in particular released a snort for that comment, picturing the dust coated living room because of Mr. Weasley. Perhaps now hadn't been the best time to mention that, but it was the thought that counted.

**Since the usually spotless living room was still covered in bits of fireplace, this wasn't the best thing he could have said, as it set Vernon's face to a purple hue, and Petunia began chewing on her tongue again to stop herself snapping back. Still, neither said a thing.**

"Something I hope keeps for the rest of their lives," Sirius chuckled.

**Mr. Weasley was still looking around in interest. Harry knew that he loved all things Muggle related, and that he was itching to go and inspect the television and video recorder up close.**

"Credit to him for restraining himself," Remus smiled lightly, Arthur was clearly trying his hardest to keep things friendly, though he had no idea that the Dursley's didn't deserve it.

**He kept speaking to the Dursley's casually enough, telling them he knew that those devices ran off of electricity, though he mispronounced it. He could see the plugs running them, and was also aware of batteries, he had a large collection of those and was quite proud of them. His wife called him mad, but what could you do. Vernon clearly thought Arthur was mad as well,**

"Well to be fair, there are much weirder things I've heard Muggles collect." Lily snickered, she didn't find it that weird at all.

**and scooted to the side a bit more so that Petunia was completely blocked from view, as if he feared Mr. Weasley would suddenly lunge forward and attack them.**

"Now that could get really interesting, really fast," James said almost eagerly.

Lily on the other hand raised a brow in surprise. While she detested Vernon just as much as her sister, more then she'd hated anyone in her life as a matter of fact, and loathed even giving him one spot of light, it was there when he did the act of attempting to hide his wife. As cruel as he was to her son, Vernon at least showed in that moment that he did hold concern for his own family at least, not that this made up in any way for his cruelty to Harry.

**Dudley chose that moment to make his appearance, and Harry guessed all the noise must have scared him out of the kitchen.**

"A marvelous feat in itself," Sirius grinned.

**He came sidling into the room, watching Mr. Weasley with horror, and still keeping his back against the wall as he edged towards his parents. Arthur took another brave stab at conversation as he asked Harry that this was his cousin?**

"So much credit to him for trying." Remus said again, still half laughing even as he said that.

**Harry agreed that was Dudley.**

"Well you're just no help at all Harry," Sirius mock scold.

**Harry caught Ron's eye, then had to look away or they'd both start laughing.**

"You have far more restraint than us," James beamed.

**Dudley kept his hands firmly latched onto his large bottom, and Mr. Weasley was watching this with some concern. From the tone he used next, he seemed to be wondering if Dudley was as insane as the Dursley's found him, but Arthur used a sympathetic tone instead.**

"Aww," Lily couldn't help but coo. Not that Dudley, or any of the Dursley's, deserved Arthur's sympathy, but it was the genuine thought that meant something.

**He kindly asked if Dudley was having a good holiday, but Dudley merely whimpered as his arms tightened around his back.**

"I think that translated to no," Sirius quipped.

**Fred and George came back in then carrying Harry's stuff, and both cracked into identical evil grins when they caught sight of Dudley.**

"Now why would they do that?" Remus asked with interest.

"They wouldn't mess with Dudley in front of their dad," Lily said without a trace of hope, she really wouldn't put anything past the twins, they reminded her too much of the Marauders.

**Mr. Weasley smiled and offered that they'd better get going then, taking his wand back out, which Harry noticed made all three Dursley's shrink even farther into the wall.**

"I would give Arthur all the money in the world if he'd curse them," James sighed wistfully, knowing it wasn't going to happen, but what they'd experienced this day being pleasant enough, he'd accept the defeat.

**He pointed it at the grate and used the Incendio spell, causing a roaring fire to appear. Then Mr. Weasley took a pouch out of his pocket and doused the fire with the powder, causing it to turn green. Arthur instructed Fred to go ahead, and Fred made to move forward, but seemed to accidentally trip, allowing some brightly colored sweets to spill out of his pocket.**

"Uh oh," all three boys sang as one.

"I've never seen wizards sweets tested on a Muggle." Lily said with just a hint of curiosity. "Do you think they'd work? I know some won't work on squibs and such."

"Well let's find out," Sirius said eagerly, waving her down, clearly no one in the room gave even a second to think this had been done by accident.

**Fred made to jump around the room and collect them all, before waving a cheerful goodbye and crying out 'the Burrow' then he vanished.**

"Sad he didn't get to watch his handiwork play out," James said sincerely.

**George went next with the trunk, and after saying the same phrase, he too disappeared.**

Harry hated to interrupt himself, somehow he just knew he was about to get to the best part, but still he couldn't stop himself from asking "How come last time the powder had to be used individually, but this time they're all going with just one blast?"

"It depends how much is used," Remus happily explained. "The Floo will stay activated the more powder is put in, most people use the smallest amount possible and go one at a time so as not to waste and let it linger longer than it has to. This time Mr. Weasley must not have wanted to take the chance of not bringing enough, so he just used more than enough."

Harry happily nodded his thanks before continuing.

**Then it was Ron's turn, and when he too went out with the green flames, Harry said his goodbye and made to leave, the Dursley's not responding behind him.**

The four of them still had enough kindling annoyance to huff and roll their eyes at this now common display, no matter how much it appeared.

**Before he could leave though, Arthur caught his shoulder and was watching the Dursley's with amazement as he pointed out that Harry had just told them goodbye, hadn't they heard?**

"Oh they heard him." Despite James abundance of agitation at how they treated his son, he couldn't help a hopeful tone as he wondered if, finally, someone else would witness this first hand. It was such a minor thing in all honesty, but he still crossed his fingers it would be enough that Mr. Weasley would really ask Harry about it.

**Harry tried to tell Mr. Weasley to brush it off like he did, Harry didn't care.**

Sirius was so eager to hear the same kind of thing, he was even momentarily distracted from wondering what that sweet would do. Was it possible Arthur would finally step in like Sirius couldn't and say something to these useless Muggles!?

**Mr. Weasley didn't remove his hand though, repeating to Vernon that he wouldn't see Harry again until next summer, surely he would at least tell him goodbye?**

"Half surprised he's not cheerfully waving and praising the heavens he'll be gone," Remus grumbled.

**Vernon's face twisted with fury. It must have been the most galling thing to be taught manners by the man who'd just destroyed his living room,**

"Every last drop of which is deserved, plus so much more" Lily hissed.

**but Arthur still had his wand held loosely in his hand, which Vernon's eyes darted to,**

"If only," all four of them muttered.

**before he muttered a resentful goodbye to Harry.**

**Harry waved one last time before stepping into the fire, but before he could depart he heard a gagging noise behind him, and Petunia screamed.**

"Yes!" The four boys swapped attention at once, practically on the edge of their seat to hear this play out, fully ignoring whatever discomfort this caused their injuries.

**Harry turned back to find Dudley had removed himself from the wall, and instead was hunched over on the floor with something a foot long, purple, and slimy hanging from his mouth. It took Harry a wild moment to realize that was his tongue, and a purple wrapper had been left behind.**

Harry had not effectively gone through that whole paragraph without having to raise his voice to keep being heard, the others were laughing too hard. Finally though he had to stop himself, he couldn't keep going he was laughing himself at the mental image.

Remus was the first to start breathing normally again, rubbing happily at his abused chest and ignoring any lingering pain he had because of it. This had been exactly what the lot of them needed, the Dursley's to get even the smallest dose of payback for what all they'd done to Harry, and for them to get a good laugh in.

Harry came back to himself soon enough, and though the others were still chuckling happily, he decided to keep going, noting that there wasn't much left.

**Petunia continued to screech in fear as she ran to her boy, seized the end of his protruding muscle, and began wrenching on it like she meant to pull it out of his mouth.**

"Yes, I'm so sure that'll help," Lily managed in shaking tones.

**This clearly wasn't helping Dudley, who tried to splutter a protest, but was clearly unable. Vernon lost himself, now screaming at the top of his lungs himself and waving his arms about,**

"Nope." James returned, "He's the one definitely doing the most good."

**and none of them noticed Mr. Weasley shouting that he could fix this, pointing his wand at Dudley. This only caused Petunia to scream even louder, now throwing herself in front of her son as a shield.**

"Good luck with that," Sirius snorted, still not quite in his normal intelligible voice he was still half laughing.

Lily on the other hand felt a stirring towards Petunia for the first time since the first chapter of the first book. Empathy. She'd never forgive Petunia for what she'd done to Harry, but in that one moment, Petunia was acting exactly as her sister had once done to land her nephew in that house. She didn't understand what was happening, she only feared for the safety of her child, and that one action caused Lily to flash back and remember Harry's horrible dementor memory once again of Lily doing the exact same thing. She was blinking in delayed shock, and realizing that none of them had noticed her change in demeanor, Harry was still reading.

**Arthur was still yelling, trying to explain the toffee had just been a joke by his son, only an Engorgement Charm, he could fix it, at least he thought he could.**

James was practically wheezing beside his wife he was trying so hard to stop himself laughing hard enough Harry would stop again, the task becoming more difficult the longer this dragged on.

**Still no one paid him any mind, Petunia still half covering Dudley as she wrenched at his lolling tongue,**

"Can't deny I'd like to see this," Remus muttered.

**Dudley seemed to be suffocating under the combined weight of his mother and his tongue, and Vernon lost his head completely, by running over to the china cabinet and chucking a plate at Mr. Weasley.**

"Now really," Lily raised a brow in surprise, "What good would that do?"

"He's panicking," Harry said with a shrug, still smiling broadly with every word.

**Both by the fireplace ducked as it smashed inside the hearth, Arthur's voice now edging into anger as he shouted back that he was just trying to help.**

"They wouldn't care one little bit if you were helping, or trying to burn your house down, they would be acting the exact same way" Sirius scoffed, hoping the situation could still somehow get worse.

**Vernon just kept yelling nonsense as he caught up another plate, while Arthur told Harry to get out of here, he'd deal with this.**

"What, no!" James all but begged. "Harry more than anyone deserves to see this play out!"

**Harry didn't want to miss the fun, but Vernon's second ornament narrowly missed his left ear,**

Lily couldn't help but wonder if Vernon was actually aiming for Harry, so at this point she couldn't help but agree with Arthur, she'd rather like her son to get out of there, or things really could get worse.

**so Harry decided to take the advice, and stepped into the fire. Just as he cried 'the Burrow' his last glimpse of the living room was Mr. Weasley shooting the third ornament away from Vernon, Petunia still screaming and trying to wrench Dudley's tongue out of his mouth, and Dudley's tongue now as long as a python.**

"I want to capture that moment forever," Sirius sighed, actually closing his eyes and mentally etching that into his memory, determined to think on that instead of something worse next time those useless muggles came to mind.

**Then there were green flames all around, and the Dursley's house and everything else vanished around him.**

"Chapters done!" Harry happily cheered as he stood and went to give the book to Remus.

"I think I'm honestly disappointed," Remus pouted as he juggled the baby and the book, before Harry took pity on him and took the infant. "That was the best chapter yet, and by our track record that means we've probably got three bad chapters in a row coming up now."

"Oh cheer up Remus," James tried to put that emotion into his own tone. "Harry's going to the Weasley's, he's going to the World Cup, I doubt anything bad can happen there."


	5. WEASLEYS' WIZARD WHEEZES

The moment Harry sat back down he passed the baby along to Sirius, while Remus got started with a genuine smile still in place, and sadly having to hope it would last.

**Harry spun through the Floo channel until he started to feel sick and closed his eyes.**

"Let's just hope you end up in the right grate this time," Lily muttered to herself, still sore she even had to think back on a time this had happened, couldn't her boy ever go through one thing normally?

**Then he came to such a jarring halt that he fell forward right into the Weasleys' kitchen. The moment Harry's ears caught up to him, he distinguished Fred's voice asking if his treat had been eaten, while offering Harry a hand up.**

"Have I mentioned how much I love those twins?" Sirius demanded with the widest of smirks still in place, "Because I don't think I mention it enough."

"Couldn't be prouder," James agreed with a serious nod.

**Harry agreed he had, then asked what it was? Fred happily explained that it was called a Ton-Tongue Toffee, that he and his twin had invented them.**

"Invented them?" Remus repeated, double checking he'd read that right.

"You mean the twins have actually started creating their own products to prank people?" Sirius demanded, looking faint from happiness.

"That's brilliant," James breathed, his eyes lighting with more new possibilities he'd never even thought of. "What's more is, they clearly work! Can you imagine if they keep going with this?"

"They'd put Zonko's out of business in a heartbeat," Remus agreed at once.

Harry was watching all of them with a very happy settling feeling indeed, surprised that for once his first instinct was to agree with them, and he was actually happy for it. He had quite a lot of faith indeed that Fred and George were only just getting started.

Lily only let the boys prattle on with a few more hopes, and groans they wished they'd come up with this themselves, before she inserted "Alright you lot, enough. We'll be here all day if you keep this up."

James still had his arm happily around her as he teased, "You just don't want to admit you like the idea."

She grinned right back as she said, "I'll readily admit it's an interesting idea, from what we've heard they've certainly got the skill and ideas, but I want to see how far they think they'll take it." After all, there was a difference between concocting fake sweets in your free time and handing them out as pranks, and going full blown like these boys were thinking and possibly over exaggerating. She flicked her fingers at Remus for him to keep going, which he happily obliged.

**They'd been wanting to try those on someone all summer.**

"What with their brother's knowledge of said twins, those two were probably lacking in the guinea pig department," Remus snickered.

**The rest of the kitchen exploded with laughter, and Harry looked around in surprise to see not just George and Ron, but also two other red head's he'd never met, but knew they must be Bill and Charlie, the eldest siblings.**

"Oh cool," Sirius somehow still managed to get even more excited, he'd been really wanting to meet at least Charlie, find out what kind of insanity that one must house to be working with dragons of his own free will.

**The closer of the two got to his feet first and offered his hand, which housed old burn marks. He was on the stockier side like Fred and George, and Harry knew this must be Charlie, who worked with dragons in Romania. His face was so tan you could hardly make out the freckles, with thick burly arms, but red hair short and shaggy.**

**Harry shook his hand then turned to the last one, who came as a bit of a surprise. All Harry had ever heard about Bill was an older version of Percy, Prefect and Head Boy at Hogwarts, and thought he'd probably be just as fond of the rules.**

"I guess I can see why you'd think that," James gave a slight pout. "After all, you'd yet to meet a fun Prefect or Head Boy as far as you knew."

"But this sounds like it's about to get interesting," Sirius chirped, having noted that 'surprising' part most of all.

**The man in person though, looked like he was plenty of fun. He had his hair in a ponytail down his back, and a fang hook earring in his left ear. His clothes looked more like something you'd see at a rock concert, with dragon hide boots.**

"There's the older brother I always wanted," James chuckled.

"Now that hurt," Sirius mock pouted this time. "You've got me haven't you?"

"Sirius," James groaned in a long suffering voice, "you are 145 days older then me, let it go!"

"I doubt he ever will," Remus muttered, knowing full well Sirius had to keep something over their heads, and though he rarely acted it, being the oldest was one he loved.

Lily was just happy to see her boys joking around again at all. She'd been so worried after the travesty of the last book that they'd truly lost a part of themselves, but if they decided to keep themselves going with old jokes she'd heard a thousand times, she'd take it in a heartbeat.

**Further introductions were stalled by the arrival of Mr. Weasley, who appeared with a pop next to George.**

Harry couldn't help but give a startled little blink. He'd heard of apparition of course, he could even do it himself if he didn't think about it, but the idea still gave his fourteen year old mind a bit of a spin. What stopped him from appearing right where George was and hurting them both? Was there a distance limit? He was positive he learned all of those answers in another time though, so for now he decided not to pester the others with them.

**He was looking angrier than Harry had ever seen him.**

"It's sad that he didn't appreciate that as much as we did," Remus sighed.

"He didn't have all the backstory," Sirius snorted, giving Harry a sideways look as he continued. "I'm sure if Harry would tell him and Molly what all's been going on in that house, Arthur would have done the opposite of stopping his sons."

Harry just gave him a half blank, half curious look, which none of them bought for a second.

**He began shouting at the twins at once, demanding to know what they'd given him. Fred shot back, with a smirk still in place, that he hadn't** _**given** _ **him anything, he'd just dropped it.**

"The details make it," James praised, nearly bouncing in his seat all over again, forcing this happy feeling to linger as he thought back on all the times he'd done this to McGonagall or any number of teachers, still forcefully ignoring one certain person who would often be in there with him.

**Arthur snapped back that he had dropped it on purpose, he'd known he was on a diet! George eagerly cut in by asking how big his tongue had gotten?**

"Now was not the time to ask that," Remus couldn't help but correct with an indulgent smile.

"Really, there isn't a good time," Sirius shrugged. "May as well get it in now, see if they could find out from him by surprise."

**Their dad snapped back that it had been four feet before he'd managed to shrink it back!**

Causing all five of them to burst out laughing again.

**Harry and the rest of the Weasleys started laughing all over again, causing Mr. Weasley to shout all the louder that it wasn't funny!**

"Oh but it is," James disagreed, eagerness still his dominant feature as he looked like he still wanted to go watch all of that in person all over again, "you're just not in on the full joke."

"Bill and Charlie might not even be, and they're clearly laughing along," Lily giggled.

**He was clearly getting more angry as he kept going, reminding his boys that his life's work was trying to build better Wizard Muggle relations, and here his own sons were baiting that boy!**

"Ouch," Lily winced.

"Okay, yeah, I can understand where he'd get that from," Remus frowned.

"It's not like Arthur knows better," James sighed.

"Well to be fair, I can see the twins pulling this on anyone, not just a Muggle who deserved it." Sirius offered, "Not that Arthur knows he deserves it," he amended with a mutter at the end.

**Fred shot back that he hadn't done it because he was a Muggle, while George added on they'd done it because he was a git that deserved it, turning to Harry and asking him to back them up. Harry quickly agreed Dudley shouldn't be pitied, and Mr. Weasley snapped back that wasn't the point.**

"Then what was the point?" James couldn't help but ask with a small smile.

"That they did it, and they shouldn't have," Lily shrugged, still seeing the parent's side of it better than the boys it seemed.

**He began to threaten that he was going to tell their mother and then they'd be in for it, when she stepped into the kitchen herself. She asked what she needed to be told, and Arthur deflated at once. Clearly however angry he'd been, he hadn't really been planning on telling Molly.**

Which gave all of them a collective snort of amusement. Clearly Arthur wasn't that mad then, but was just telling the boys off, while probably holding back some laughter with this response. Molly on the other hand, from what they'd seen of her, would probably do a lot worse than just shouting at them. The Dursley's deserved it, that wasn't being questioned in this room, but how much the two Weasley parents understood this they had no clue, and Harry probably wasn't going to enlighten them.

**There was a long dragged out silence while Arthur eyed his wife, but was thankfully saved for a few moments more by Hermione and Ginny entering as well, both smiling at the sight of Harry, and when he smiled back, causing Ginny to blush as red as her hair, having always had a bit of a crush on Harry.**

Harry couldn't help but give a soft smile, still looking back and finding that crush adorable, though he wasn't sure of why. He hoped Ginny grew out of this shyness phase soon, he'd really like to remember he talked to her at some point.

**Mrs. Weasley wouldn't be distracted long, repeating that Arthur needed to tell her something, her voice getting a dangerous edge.**

"I get the feeling they've all heard the tone at one point or another," Sirius muttered.

**Arthur tried to brush it off, saying Fred and George had done, something, but he'd spoken to them about it.**

"Hmm," Lily uttered softly to herself, a slight smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She didn't really think what Arthur had yelled at them was really akin to 'had words with them' more a mild telling off that probably didn't even phase the trouble making twins, but as she didn't really think Fred and George deserved a telling off for what they'd done, she wasn't going to argue the point either.

**Molly got exasperated at once, demanding if this had anything to do with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?**

"Now what's this?" Remus perked up, his mind automatically flashing back to their earlier discussion.

"Sound like the name of a store to anyone else?" James yelped eagerly.

Sirius was practically wiggling around in pleasure. From what he'd heard about these twins, he figured they'd be brilliant if they really set their mind to that sort of thing!

**Hermione cut in from the doorway that perhaps Ron should show Harry where he was sleeping.**

"Subtle," Lily snickered.

**Ron frowned back at her that there was no reason, he was sleeping in the same place as last time.**

"And Ron still has no clue," Sirius cackled.

**Hermione just repeated that it was best that they show him anyways, and just as Ron agreed it would be better to get out of there, George agreed he'd better come along as well.**

"I think it's a good idea the lot of them go," Remus agreed, not even bothering to hide his smile.

**Molly snapped that those two weren't going anywhere though, as Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny quickly exited the kitchen and went for the stairs. The moment they were out of sight, Harry asked what Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes were, causing Ron and Ginny to laugh, while Hermione just rolled her eyes.**

"Please don't tell me Hermione got that stick back up her butt," James pouted, "I think this sounds like a brilliant idea."

"Just because she didn't laugh doesn't mean she doesn't approve," Lily reproached, while giving a slight frown as well, she didn't see why Hermione would dislike the idea.

**Ron happily explained that their mum had found some order forms the twins had created in their room, with price lists for items they'd been inventing, all prank items.**

"Oh Merlin they are," Sirius crowed, bouncing the baby around so much he was giggling up a storm, still managing to make the lot of them laugh even harder. Not one of them could come up with a reason why this wasn't a brilliant idea.

**Ginny admitted her surprise at the idea, saying how they'd heard explosions from their room for ages, but they hadn't known they'd been doing anything. They thought the twins just liked the noise.**

"Perfectly understandable," Remus nodded, his eyes still alight with all the possibilities this could lead to.

**Ron did add on though that most of the stuff was kind of dangerous.**

"Dangerous?" Lily frowned in confusion. "How so? Whatever they used on Dudley seemed to work fine, and if Arthur figured out how to fix it without even fully understanding what they'd done, I doubt it's that bad."

They all remained silent, not really having an answer.

**Plus, they were planning on selling it at Hogwarts to make some money.**

Until Sirius heard that, then he offered, "Maybe because not all of it's tested," he gave a careless shrug like he wasn't sure that this should still be classified. "But they need to find guinea pigs somewhere, so they're choosing Hogwarts. Not a bad idea, since Madam Pomfrey could fix anything major."

Lily chose to roll her eyes at him, but agreed with his logic none the less.

**Mrs. Weasley had lost it at them, forbidding them from making anything else, burning up all their forms.**

"Harsh," Remus winced, thinking that she could have taken them away until they were more proofed or something.

**She had already been angry with them, since they hadn't gotten as many O.W.L.s as she thought they'd get.**

Lily couldn't help a little sigh of pity for the twins. She of course understood the want of a mother to see her kids do well in school, but going from previous experiences, she had the feeling Molly was expecting Percy like results from those two, and that wasn't exactly fair of her.

**O.W.L.s were Ordinary Wizarding Levels, the examinations Hogwarts students took at the age of fifteen.**

"I still don't understand those random inserts," James muttered. "We know."

Remus just ignored him.

**Then Ginny went on to say that their mother and the twins had a big fight about their after Hogwart's life, as they wanted to open a joke shop, but their mother expected them to join the Ministry.**

"Molly's starting to depress me," Sirius pouted. "Have we seen any indication that those two could cope behind a desk?"

"I can see her point," Lily sighed. "She thinks that would be better for them, and what they're wanting is really expensive and risky if it doesn't work, but I do wish she'd give them a shot at it."

"Yes well, hopefully she'll calm down and see reason when they blow up a school corridor or something," Remus muttered, hoping that the thousandth time those two got into trouble would make her see they had a knack for it.

**As they continued climbing the stairs, a door opened when they hit the second landing, Percy's agitated face on the other side. Harry politely greeted him, and Percy only gave half as warm a reply, telling them off for making so much noise.**

"You live in a house of how many people," James shot back with a raised brow. "I hardly think it would ever be quiet there."

**He was in here trying to work, and it was hard to concentrate with so many people tromping up and down the stairs all day.**

"I am positive you've been living with that your whole life," Sirius muttered. "And you've learned to get over it before."

**Ron snapped back they weren't being that loud, they were walking! Harry still asked what Percy was working on?**

All three boys groaned, not even remotely curious to hear about this, but Lily gave her son an appreciative smile, always loving how her son tried to keep up with Percy, even when his siblings discouraged otherwise.

**He told them, a bit too smugly, that it was a report for the Department of International Magical Cooperation.**

"Does he have to be so pompous, about everything?" James muttered, noting that was 90% of his description.

**His report would make it so that they would have a standardized cauldron bottom thickness, as leakages had been increasing in recent years. Ron's face was deadpan as he said back that this was definitely a life altering report.**

Which at least gave the three Marauders a good laugh.

**Percy flushed slightly as he said back that what he was doing was very important, if this wasn't checked they could be getting shoddy work and it could seriously endanger-**

"Oh don't go dragging me into this conversation," Sirius groaned, his proud smirk saying otherwise at any opportunity to use that joke, even if Harry was the only one that laughed along.

**Ron just brushed him off and tried to usher them up the stairs.**

Lily couldn't help a little sigh of pity for Percy now. She completely understood the importance of what Percy was doing, and it was good to take you work seriously, but the fact that all four boy's eyes were glazing over as this conversation continued probably wasn't boding well for Percy's siblings on the stairwell either. It must be difficult for the poor thing not to have anyone to talk to about this.

**Percy slammed the door shut behind them as they kept going upstairs, and could now hear shouting from the kitchen below, which meant Arthur had finally told Molly about the toffees.**

Which didn't help anyone's mood, as the more they heard about this, the more they'd like to defend Fred and George for every shot Molly would take at them. Here they'd thought coming to the Burrow would make them feel better! Oh well, at least this was still better then hearing about the Dursleys.

**Ron's room looked almost exactly the same as the last time Harry had been here, most of the space covered in the bright orange color of his favorite Quidditch team, the Chudley Cannons, and a fish tank that now housed a frog.**

"Bet if he didn't have that owl, he'd take that as his pet," James said with forced cheerfulness, who knew talking about Ron's pets would ever cause him a sore spot. "Then he'd really have to take back that comment he made about Trevor first year."

**Ron's old rat, Scabbers,**

Even getting out that fake name for the rat came with a cold bite to Remus' tone, but he kept going forcefully so that no one had to linger on it long.

**was long gone, and in his place was the tiny gray owl that Ron had got last year, hopping happily on the spot and twittering. Ron told Pig to shut up as he walked past,**

"Well, Ron's owl is officially named Pig," Lily said with a touch too much chipper, like the others shaking off any mention of that old rat. "Can't wait to hear the explanation for that!"

**edging his way between two of the four beds that had been squeezed into the room.**

James let out a surprised whistle as he tried to imagine that, Ron's room had sounded cramped before!

**He explained to Harry that the twins were up here with them, as Bill and Charlie were using their room. Percy got to keep his room to himself since he was working.**

Lily couldn't help but purse her lips as she once again saw both sides to that coin. The other two boys were on holiday, but Percy wasn't, so he would need his work space, but that didn't mean he shouldn't have to put up with at least one of his brothers, it could have been spaced out a little more evenly. It did bring up the interesting question of how room assignments had gone before the oldest two had moved out, who had shared rooms then? She didn't bring it up though, as she didn't really find it her place to criticize the Weasley's as to where they had their kids sleep.

**Harry asked why Ron had named his owl Pig, and Ginny put in that was because Ron was being stupid, his proper name was Pigwidgeon.**

"Ah, yes, because that makes much more sense," Sirius snorted in delight.

"I guess Pig isn't a bad second then," Remus agreed with a light chuckle.

"I really want to know if there's a backstory to that name as well," James smirked.

**Ron rolled his eyes at his sister as he said that he tried to change it, but now his owl wouldn't answer to anything else,**

"I wasn't really aware owls 'answered' to anything." Harry said in surprise. "It's not as if they come when they're called, if Hedwig's not on her perch I can't tell her to come."

"I think Ron just didn't change it because he's being nice to Ginny," Lily shrugged. "That name is a mouthful though, so he just shortens it to Pig."

**so now he was Pig. He was told to keep him up in his room, because he annoyed the other two owls Errol and Hermes. Then again, he annoyed his owner to.**

"I am just so glad Ron liked his present." Sirius beamed, looking all the more pleased the owl he'd chosen was getting the added bonus of randomly agitating Ron, something he'd do to any of his friends in a heartbeat just for a good laugh.

"Did Molly and Arthur say anything?" Remus asked, thinking he'd certainly question a kid who came home with a pet they hadn't left with.

"They asked where he got it from," Harry nodded in agreement, "and Ron said a friend got tired of owning him so passed him on to Ron."

**Pigwidgeon zoomed happily around his cage, hooting shrilly. Harry knew Ron too well to take him seriously.**

"Well that's good, because I'm Sirius," Sirius happily shot in as well, while Harry snickered and Remus still stoutly ignored him.

**He had moaned continually about his old rat, Scabbers,**

Remus now regretted not having let Sirius bask in his joke at least a few moments longer, because his face switched back to narrow eyed hate in seconds, but again Remus chose not to pause as it wouldn't do anyone any good.

**but had been most upset when Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, appeared to have eaten him.**

"If only," James hissed under his breath.

**Harry then asked where Crookshanks was, and Hermione said he was probably out in the garden chasing the gnomes, he liked doing that. Harry then switched topics to asking about Percy, if he enjoyed his work? Ron repeated back that he more than enjoyed it with a dark tone.**

"That's a bit intense," James frowned thoughtfully at the description. "Is Percy really acting that bad?"

"Picture how he was described acting about his school work, Prefect, and Head Boy duties, and double it," Harry sighed, going more on instinct than actual memory for that answer, but from the few moments he'd had of Percy's work life, he was positive he wasn't wrong, and somehow still knew it would only get worse.

**Ron was quite sure that he wouldn't even come home if their dad didn't force him to. Then he begged Harry not to ask Percy about his boss, as he was obsessed with the man. He'd go on for ages about Mr. Crouch's**

"Crouch?" Lily repeated in surprise.

"He's the head of Magical Cooperation?" Sirius also couldn't help a shocked tone as well.

Harry was frowning at the mention of this name, it held some significance to him he couldn't place, so he asked, "How do you guys know him?"

"He's slated to be the next minister," James shrugged. "He's the most anti-Death Eater on the Wizengamot right now, been fighting fire with fire if you will."

Harry's frown only managed to deepen, as this only managed to raise more questions, like what a Death Eater was, then he got a sinking feeling deep inside saying he didn't want to know that answer for as long as possible, so didn't press the point.

"I think the guys a bit of a nut," Remus snorted. "Getting a bit too intense with his job really, but no one's denying he's getting results either."

Harry vaguely remembered them mentioning something about this back during his first year talk with Hagrid when Fudge had been mentioned as the minister, and he had an inkling that this may connect to his own feelings towards the name, but they were all vague and he had no way to string them together, so he just nodded his content as Lily added, "Guess when Fudge got the job Crouch got shunted elsewhere. I'm sure he's bitter about it."

The boys shrugged, but mostly with disinterest now. The surprise had worn off, and they didn't really care about him one way or the other, it was just interesting that this was how it had played out. They wouldn't deny they'd like to hear the reason Crouch didn't get the position of Minister, but it wasn't a top priority to them either.

**opinion on this, and what they'd been discussing about that, Ron even made the quip they'd be announcing an engagement any time now.**

Which gave Harry a good laugh at least, much like he had when Ron had said this the first time.

**Hermione then turned the conversation back on Harry, asking if he'd liked the food they'd sent? Harry agreed those cakes had saved his life.**

"Probably literally," Lily sniffed with distaste, hoping Molly would serve dinner soon.

**Ron began to ask if he'd heard from- but was cut off by a pointed look from Hermione, and he didn't finish the question.**

"Aw, I think Ron was about to ask about me," Sirius gave a slight smile.

"Good that he didn't get it out though," Lily sighed. "Hadn't you said Ginny was up there?"

"Yep," Harry nodded, smiling as well as he knew his friends were just as worried about his godfather as he'd been.

**Harry didn't need him to, he knew Hermione and Ron were wanting to ask about Sirius, they'd been so involved in his escape last year they were as worried about him as Harry was. It wasn't a good idea though, to be discussing this in front of Ginny, who had no idea about any of this. The only people that did know where the three of them, and Professor Dumbledore.**

Remus once again felt a swift kick in the gut that he hadn't been mentioned, which somehow kept hurting more rather than less as this carried on, and sadly his reading it seemed to have made the others realize this as well as he felt more than just lingering eyes on him as he read that, but he didn't acknowledge them and instead kept going loudly.

**Ginny was watching all of them fidget in the awkward following silence, until Hermione offered that the shouting downstairs seemed to have stopped.**

"Well she does know we get into some interesting stuff at school," Harry offered, doing the same thing now as his dad looked about ready to say something to Remus. "It was probably better Hermione didn't give her the chance to ask."

Sirius threw Harry a curious look as well, looking between him and Remus with a calculating look, but no one said anything else and Remus didn't look likely to give them the chance.

**She suggested they all head back downstairs, and the other three agreed.**

"Least they got to avoid that fight," Lily muttered, now watching the boys expectantly like she expected a fight to crop up now.

**They went back to the kitchen to find Mrs. Weasley, clearly still in a temper, announcing to them they'd be eating out in the garden, there wasn't enough room in the kitchen. She directed the girls to carry plates outside, which they quickly did, then asked the boys to take out the cutlery, while pointing her wand at some potatoes, which shot out of their skins and crashed into the wall.**

"I can see why you love her cooking so much," Sirius gave a soft laugh.

**She gave an exasperated sigh as she used her wand to direct a dustpan to clean that up while she started pulling more pans out of the cupboards, before bursting into speech about 'those two!' Harry didn't need to ask to know she was talking about the twins as she continued that they had no ambition, unless you counted making as much trouble as possible!**

"I consider that plenty of ambition," Remus said sagely, happy to see Sirius and James smirk along, so at least he seemed to have convinced them to silently let the matter go for now.

**Mrs. Weasley slammed a large copper saucepan down on the kitchen table and began to wave her wand around inside it. A creamy sauce poured from the wand tip as she stirred,**

"Where's that coming from?" Harry asked in surprise.

"She probably has it stored somewhere, perhaps they have a cellar or something, and she's summoning it from there," Lily shrugged.

**still half shouting her diatribe about how she knew her boys had brains, but they were wasting away while they pursued these troublesome wants. She'd had more owls about them then the rest of her kids put together!**

"A genuine accomplishment," Sirius said brightly.

**If they carried on like this, they'd wind up in front of the Improper Use of Magic Office!**

"That shouldn't be a real issue until they come of age," James shrugged, after all he'd never heard those two get up to anything as bad as that.

**She then gave a sharp jab towards the silverware drawer, which sprang open and sent a dozen knives shooting through the air to cut up the potatoes that had just been cleaned. She placed her wand down to pull out more pans, still demanding of nothing where she'd gone wrong with those two, but as she turned back to grab her wand again, it gave a squeak and turned into a rubber mouse.**

Causing all five of them to release surprised snorts of laughter. Another Fred and George invention most likely, and yet another fairly clever idea. The more they heard, the more confident they all were they'd be amazing at a joke shop.

**She began shouting at nothing how she'd told them to stop leaving those fake wands around! She grabbed her real wand and bustled back to the stove, and Ron quickly whispered to Harry they'd best get out of there while she was distracted, grabbing up some cutlery, while Harry did the same. They left Mrs. Weasley to her mutterings and edged out the back door.**

"A fair idea," Lily sighed, "she's probably going to be that way until she gets it all out of her system, and you don't need that directed at someone who doesn't deserve it," she finished with a maternal eye on her son.

**They didn't get far before they almost went tripping over Crookshanks, who shot by chasing what looked like a muddy potato on legs.**

James gave a burst of laughter, recognizing it as a gnome of course, but the description was to priceless to pass up.

**They kept walking towards the garden area, where they could hear some loud crashing noises.**

Remus blinked in surprise as he read that, wondering what they were out there breaking now.

**They found the source to be Bill and Charlie, who had decided to levitate two tables and were bashing them into each other several feet in the air, each trying to knock the others to the ground.**

Causing all five of them to crack up laughing all over again. It seemed they'd found a clear indication of where Fred and George had found their role models, Ron's eldest two brothers seemed to find more than enough trouble with this small and brilliant display. Who knew what had started the fight, but fighting tables like that was brilliant! Molly was clearly over exaggerating that Bill and Charlie never caused trouble if this was what they were doing with their free time!

**Fred and George were cheering, Ginny was laughing, and Hermione was hovering near the hedge, apparently torn between amusement and anxiety.**

"Oh come on Hermione," Sirius groaned, not able to get to a full pout because he was still chuckling. "Laugh at least a little, come on at least tell me she was giggling! That's hilarious!"

Harry was too busy laughing himself to answer.

**Bill's table caught a leg of Charlie's and with a huge wrench, pulled it clean off. Then there was a thunk from above them, and Percy's head shot out of his window, yelling at all of them to keep it down!**

"Killjoy," Remus pouted.

"Surprised he'd call them out like that," James rolled his eyes. "They can't be that distracting."

"I think he just likes yelling at people," Sirius said innocently.

**Bill called back an apology, asking how his report was going? Percy shot back terribly, before slamming his window shut. Bill and Charlie were still chuckling as they set their tables back down.**

"Liking them more and more," James said affectionately, already smiling at finally having an idea of all of the Weasley's after just one chapter, rather than his growing agitation at Percy who he'd heard about for three books now.

**With a flick of his wand, the broken leg flew back to the table, and before they knew it, both were groaning under the mountains of food Mrs. Weasley had prepared. To Harry, who'd been living off of stale cake all summer, this was paradies!**

"I can imagine," Lily nodded seriously, finally letting go of the lingering tension the Dursleys caused her as she now knew her boy was going to be properly taken care of.

**He chose to listen in rather than join the conversations around him as he dug into the meal.**

"Harry," Sirius groaned pitifully, eyeing Lily hopefully to get his point across.

"Yes, alright," she smiled back. "I'll scrounge up something for lunch after this."

**At the far end of the table, Percy was telling his father all about his report on cauldron bottoms.**

"Not this again," Remus sighed. "Three times in one chapter, I didn't want to hear about this the first time!"

"Harry, stop listening in on him already," Sirius pouted.

"I'll try," Harry shot back with an eye roll, it's not like he could go back and plug his ears from this.

**Going on about how he'd have his report ready for Mr. Crouch by Tuesday, how it hadn't been expected until much later but their department was so busy he was proud he could help by getting his job done early. These arrangements for the World Cup were really hampering them, and they weren't getting any support from the Department of Magical Games and Sports.**

Harry was really tempted to ask what that Department would, or in this case wouldn't, be doing to help, but the boys already looked so bored from Percy's talking he decided he wouldn't bother them more.

**Mentioning Ludo Bagman,**

"The Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps!" Sirius practically shouted in excitement, startling the baby in his arms. "You mean to tell me he's now head of the Department for Magical Games and Sports!?"

"It's not that surprising," Lily shrugged. "That field is often run by retired Quidditch players."

"We're just learning all kinds of things today," James shrugged, some interest gleaming in his eyes as well, telling Harry that maybe he could have gotten away with his question, but then Remus kept going and he decided it wasn't worth it.

**but Arthur quickly cut in that Bagman was a good friend of his, he'd been the one to get them their tickets to the Cup.**

"Arthur is friends with a Beater from the Wimbourne Wasps," Sirius practically drooled, all but wriggling in place all over again. "Can you imagine, that means he must be able to get tickets to practically any game he wants! And he got, eleven of them to the Cup!"

"Breathe Sirius," Remus reminded. "It hasn't happened yet, don't go hounding on him for another few years."

Sirius didn't deflate by much, he did consider it a good thing these things hadn't happened yet otherwise he'd probably be in Azkaban, but it was nice to finally hear something about the future that was encouraging!

**Explaining that he'd done Bagman's brother, Otto, a favor once, something about a lawnmower with some supernatural powers, but Arthur had managed to smooth everything out.**

"Would actually really love to hear the story behind that," Lily said mildly.

**Percy gave a dismissive wave back, saying the man was likeable enough, but a terrible Department Head. He wasn't comparable to Mr. Crouch, who would never lose a member of his department and not go looking for her.**

They all felt an odd prickling at the base of their neck at this throwaway line. People disappeared, it was a sad fact of life, but they couldn't help but flash back to Harry's odd dream of Voldemort claiming to have murdered someone. They were obviously just being paranoid though, it most likely wasn't connected...

**Bertha Jorkins**

Well there went that hope!

One glance at Harry showed him frowning in agitation at that name all over again, which meant none of them could even pretend that they were over thinking this.

"Wait," Remus frowned, thinking aloud now. "Bertha's working for Magical Games and Sports? How on earth does that help Voldemort in any way?"

"I still want to know why she had a memory charm placed on her that helped so much," Lily sighed. "She doesn't exactly work in a secretive department."

Harry gave a funny little twitch that only Sirius noticed, and he frowned in confusion and concern at him, but when Harry clearly was trying to repress any further reactions from their questions, Sirius instead offered, "Well, I'm still hoping that we don't find any of this out, because I'd rather not hear about Harry finding this out. Still feel bad for the poor thing, but can we move this along?"

Remus gave Sirius a look of mild surprise, unclear why Sirius was acting so concerned about the topic, but heeded it and kept reading.

**had been missing for over a month now, and no one seemed to notice. Someone had said she'd gone to Albania and never come back.**

'Albania,' Harry couldn't help but mentally repeat to himself in confusion. Something about their tickled something in his memory, but it was so tiny he wasn't even sure he had a real feeling about it. Just another missing piece to this ever growing puzzle.

**Mr. Weasley agreed he'd spoken to Ludo about her, but he'd just laughed it off saying that Bertha had gotten lost plenty of times.**

It was somehow even more sad to hear about this, knowing that she would never be found, a terrible ache returning the longer this dragged on because the person who did lead her to her death was someone they'd all like to see hung sometime soon!

**Percy quickly agreed she was a hopeless thing, she'd been shunted between the departments for years,**

It was somehow worse that James may have laughed and agreed with that before he knew she was dead, but now that he did know he wanted to smack Percy for speaking ill of her. That wasn't fair of course, Percy didn't know better, it just wasn't getting better to keep hearing about this.

**but it was still sad of Bagman not to be doing anything about it. Mr. Crouch had even taken an interest in her, she'd worked in his department a while back and Mr. Crouch had been soft on her.**

"Wonder why," Lily said in mild confusion, as she sounded a bit like a bother to a professional like Crouch.

Harry felt bile beginning to pile up on his tongue, there it was right there, something genuinely important he should remember at this insert, but whatever it was building up was gone the moment Remus kept going after he agreed with Lily at how odd it was.

**Bagman though just kept laughing everyone off, saying she'd wound up in Australia instead of Albania, and she'd turn up in no time. Then Percy gave a great sigh of exhaustion, now raising his voice as he continued that his department had more than enough work to keep them busy rather than looking for random employees, they had another big event to organize after the World Cup.**

"Oh yeah," Sirius muttered with disinterest, fidgeting with baby Harry's fingers to keep himself distracted. "Please don't tell me he's going to start going on about some world assembly I also don't care about."

**Percy cleared his throat loudly when no one looked around and kept speaking to his father, about that top secret project.**

James gave a forced snort, happy to be able to rag on Percy again for clearly trying to over shoot something that probably was about as important as his cauldron bottom report.

**Ron caught Harry's eye and rolled his own, telling him that Percy had been hinting at this since he'd joined his department, had been trying to get them to ask for ages, but Ron just thought it had something to do with more thick-bottomed cauldrons.**

"So glad Ron agrees," Remus gave a forced snicker, right in line with James on that one.

**In the middle of the table, Mrs. Weasley was having an argument with Bill about his fang earring, which seemed to be new. She was asking what his bosses at the bank thought of it?**

"Where did you get it?" Sirius asked innocently.

**Bill just told her that nobody at the bank cared, so long as he brought home the treasure. Mrs. Weasley then switched tactics that she really wanted to give Bill's hair a trim, it was just getting silly how long it was. Ginny backed her brother up on that one though, saying that Dumbledore's was much longer and he liked it just like that.**

Finally kicking the tension out of the room again with another laugh, as Ginny had a really good point on that one.

**Next to Mrs. Weasley, Fred, George, and Charlie were all talking spiritedly about the World Cup.**

"A proper conversation that," James nodded seriously, wishing Harry had just been listening in on this the whole time.

**Charlie was saying how it would be Ireland who won the Cup, they had the best players. Fred shot back that Bulgaria had Viktor Krum, the best Seeker there was! Charlie didn't disagree, but pointed out that was one best to seven very good, Ireland still had the upper hand. Then he sighed that it was still sad England hadn't made it in, how embarrassing that defeat had been. Harry eagerly asked about that match, and Charlie unhappily supplied the results of the game were Transylvania three hundred, England ten.**

"Ye-ouch," Sirius winced horribly, still not wiping the smile off his face at such a lighthearted conversation topic he hoped would never end.

**Then he told of a few other locals that had lost to other countries, which Harry listened to with fascination. Harry was on the Seeker position for his house team Gryffindor,**

"One of your proudest school achievements," James nodded with a proud smirk, still not regretting it when Lily gave him a light swat for that.

**and owned one of the best racing brooms in the world, a Firebolt.**

"One of?" Sirius reproved with a challenging brow at him.

"The best," Harry happily corrected himself.

**Flying came more naturally to Harry than anything else in the magical world.**

"These books can repeat that as often as they like," Remus chuckled happily as he flipped the page, always enjoying watching his friends light up at that reminder no matter how often it was mentioned, or what consequences came of the game.

**Dusk was beginning to settle, and Mrs. Weasley conjured up some candles as she went to fetch desert. Harry was feeling happy and sleepy now with a full belly, as Ron leaned over, checked to make sure no one was listening, and finally asked if Harry had heard from Sirius? Hermione listened in as Harry agreed he'd gotten two letters from him, and he'd said he was doing fine. Harry did consider for a moment telling them what he'd recently written to Sirius about, but decided against it. He didn't want to see them worry when he was feeling so content right now.**

"Can't really blame you," Lily shrugged. "Most of the reason you didn't want to write to Ron was because you didn't want his whole family knowing about it, if you start telling them now they'd definitely hear."

**Then Mrs. Weasley caught sight of the time, and demanded they all get to bed, they'd have to get up at the crack of dawn to make it to the Cup.**

"Ouch," Remus winced at such a terrible time, but as this was involving the World Cup, James and Sirius didn't even flinch and just grinned more broadly.

**As everyone was getting up from the table, Mrs. Weasley asked Harry to leave his school list out and she'd pick up whatever he needed in Diagon Alley for him, she was going to get her kids' stuff as well, and there might not be time to do it after the Cup was over, it had lasted for five days last time.**

James was practically bouncing in his seat again, so much so that Lily decided to kick him off the couch again so that he could go annoy her son and Sirius, as she knew this was only going to get worse as they got closer to the game. James gave her a slight pout, claiming that she should love him enough to put up with all of his quirks, but didn't pursue the point as he gave her a quick kiss and flopped down on Harry's other side, still bouncing like a loon and causing Harry to laugh like crazy.

**Harry said that he hoped that happened again, and Percy gave an indignant sniff that he hoped the opposite, he couldn't be away from the office that long!**

"You don't have to stay the whole time," Remus rolled his eyes.

"Here's hoping he doesn't," Sirius agreed with a scoff, not understanding how anyone could wish Quidditch would end sooner!

**Fred agreed how bad it could get, someone might give him more dragon dung.**

Lily raised a brow in surprise, wondering what that was about.

**Percy went beet red as he snapped back that had been a fertilizer sample from Norway!**

"Okay," James said with a slight smirk, drawing the word out a bit as he imagined how that had come up.

**Then as he stomped away, Fred whispered to Harry that no it hadn't been, it had been from the twins.**

Causing all of the boys to crack up laughing merrily one last time.

"Have I mentioned how much I love those twins?" Sirius said a little breathily. "I don't think I quite mention that enough."

"Chapter's over," Remus said as he got up to hand the book to Lily, and then plopped down beside her since he felt bad she was sitting by herself. She took the book but gave him a wary eye, not entirely sure he'd restrain himself any better than the other boys when it came to the Quidditch game, but not going to protest the company for now.


	6. THE PORTKEY

I can never say enough how much I thank you all for your endless reviews, support, and love! You are the reason I keep this going! To my two guest reviews last chapter, Guest: yes I agree with everything you said about Molly's motives, I'm on the same page with you there.

To Jenlumos71: Thank you my dear, I always get a kick out of knowing which parts make people laugh the most!

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Lily excused herself before she started the next chapter, scrounging up a quick lunch for the boys, and Harry happily followed, leaving the other three in a rather awkward silence. They hadn't really had a chance to talk since the end of the last book, but now that Remus himself had read out that he clearly wasn't having anything to do with Harry, James and Sirius weren't even sure what they could say to Remus. Clearly something had happened to him after James death, something that made him believe Sirius had done all of those terrible things and not go to check up on Harry, and he'd never given a reason why to Harry. They weren't even writing to each other, for all they knew he wasn't even out there helping Sirius either. It bothered them greatly, but considering what that rat was destined to do to them, it wasn't the highest of treason he could pull either, no matter how much it hurt, so neither of them were going to acknowledge it for as long as they could.

Which is why it surprised them all the more when Remus whispered, "I'm sorry."

Sirius snorted, with surprising ease brushing that off as he told him, "for what? Ignoring Harry? You haven't done it yet, so don't apologize until you have. You should be partially glad you are, otherwise James would be getting jealous of you to."

James threw him a sharp look, opened his mouth, but then turned away with a wince of shame, had he been that obvious?

Sirius nodded though like James had agreed with him anyways. "Our future is a mess, but there's no sense in apologizing to each other until we can't fix it anymore."

Remus studied him for a few moments longer before he fully grinned at him, not a trace of sarcasm present as he demanded, "when did you get so wise?"

"Because I know there's someone else I'm never going to forgive," Sirius said back in such a low voice, it no longer really sounded like him. "Trust me Remus, whatever you do or don't do, it won't get that bad."

Remus and James face twitched, like their insides had just been slammed against their skeletal systems unexpectedly, but thankfully Lily and Harry returned then.

Once they'd all eaten their fill Lily quickly retook her spot. She found her place and began reading with genuine interest, very curios and more than happy to be reading about her son going to something as innocent and fun as the World Cup, even if Quidditch wasn't her idea of a good time. It was still better than, say, running into Fluffy again.

**Harry felt as if his head just hit the pillow when Mrs. Weasley was shaking him awake, whispering for him that it was time to get up. He fumbled in the dark for his glasses, light wasn't even peaking in the window yet.**

Lily made the appropriately disgusted face at being awoken before the sun, but the boys looked far too giddy for what was to come to care.

**Ron and the twins were roused as well, and all four made their ungainly way down the stairs to find Mr. Weasley dressed as Muggle as he could get, in a baggy golf sweater, and worn blue jeans held up with a belt.**

"And you said you weren't sure if Arthur knew how to dress like a Muggle," Remus chuckled.

"I'm guessing that's good then," James shrugged with disinterest, more curious as to why he had to dress like that at all, where were they going that involved Muggles seeing them?

**He asked Harry if he passed, and Harry said he did a very good job. George tried to get out around a yawn where his eldest three brothers were, and Mrs. Weasley explained for them they were Apparating there later while dishing out porridge for them. Fred grumbled why they couldn't just apparate as well.**

"I'm guessing because, they don't know how," Sirius snorted. "They're only just now going into their sixth year after all, they won't even get the practices until then."

"I'm guessing that hasn't stopped them from trying though," Remus smirked.

**Mrs. Weasley reminded that they weren't of age yet, then went back out of the kitchen to fetch the girl's. Harry asked that you had to take a test to Apparate? Mr. Weasley explained that yes you did, and it was looked over by the Department of Magical Transportation, who'd just got done fining a couple last week who tried and failed, managing to splinch themselves.**

Harry watched the others around him give a little face twitch of sympathy, but as frustrating as always, he was truly lost what that word meant, but since he knew Arthur was fixing to explain he chose not to ask now.

**Harry watched everyone around the table flinch, while Harry asked what splinched was? Mr. Weasley explained it meant they left part of themselves behind when they disappeared.**

Harry went bug eyed in shock, now gaping at all of his limbs as he thought back to his most recent apparition, and how he'd managed to do it with only a gut feeling on how! He felt fortunate to have come out of it unscathed now!

**It had taken some work to get them back together, and a lot of paperwork for the Muggle's who had seen the left behind parts.**

Harry continued to crinkle up his nose all the more as he pictured that, making the others give half hearted smiles at his expression, grateful themselves he hadn't been hurt by the experience, because they wouldn't have been able to help.

**Harry had a sudden vision of a pair of legs and an eyeball lying abandoned on the pavement of Privet Drive.**

Yet Harry blinked spastically for a completely different reason at the mention of the eyeball. Something about a singular eye, and his fourth year...the memory fell through the moment he tried to grasp it.

**Harry quickly asked if those people were okay, and Mr. Weasley brushed it off, saying they were fixed up fine in the end, but they weren't likely to try it again soon. It was a rare occurrence, most wizards prefered the safer travels like brooms. Harry asked that the three eldest Weasley boys could all do it? Fred happily butted in that it had taken Charlie twice to pass his test, the first time he'd landed five miles away from where he was supposed to be onto some old lady.**

Causing the others to do a little snicker of appreciation, making Lily feel a little better as she'd had to take the test three times. When Harry was looking at them expectantly, clearly hoping they'd share some funny story as well, she sighed, swallowed her pride, and went ahead and admitted, "Charlie's lucky, it took me till my third try to pass."

James had to keep his expression very carefully neutral, he'd paid dearly the last few times he'd laughed at Lily for this.

"The first time, I did splinch myself, and they obviously won't let you pass for that. The second time I somehow wound up five feet in the air and crash landed, sprained my wrist, and also didn't pass. Apparition is not my friend," she finished with a little huff, finishing with a glare at her husband, who was shaking with repressed laughter by the end.

Her then boyfriend had taken the mickey out of her for ages both times, after being appropriately concerned that she was alright of course, but never could seem to resist the expression he held now whenever this came up. It didn't help he'd done it perfectly his first try.

"It took me tell my second try as well," Remus shrugged, "I apparated into the middle of some bar, made some bloks piss themselves in shock. That wasn't very fun for the ministry to fix."

"Can you apparate with animals?" Sirius inserted with interest. The idea had never occurred to him, but now that he knew he was taking care of Buckbeak, he wondered if he was making the hippogriff do all the transportation. Then again, when he'd left, he was 99% sure he hadn't a wand, and he doubted he'd pop into Ollivanders to get one, so maybe he was being too enthusiastic.

"I wouldn't recommend it," Lily frowned in sympathy at him, as they all guessed where his mind had jumped to. "They get to easily startled, I'm positive they could get splinched as well, in fact it would be more likely of the animal and then you'd have a real mess on your hands."

Sirius realized he'd successfully brought the mood back down to a pitying level on himself, and as he in no way wanted that, he instead forced a chipper smile back onto his face and declared, "well fine then, miss know it all, I won't try it. Why don't you get back to reading now, I know you're just stalling for the Cup."

Lily gave him a look that said quite clearly she knew what he was doing, but didn't argue the point either.

**Mrs. Weasley came back in time to hear that, and reminded he had passed his second time. George added on that Percy had only passed two weeks ago, and he'd been Apparating into the kitchen every morning to prove it.**

"As if he won't be doing the same," James remarked.

**Hermione and Ginny came into the kitchen then, and breakfast was consumed before Mr. Weasley tried to start bustling them out the door, saying they had a bit of a walk. Harry asked in shock they were walking to the World Cup? Mr. Weasley began to explain they only had to go a couple of miles, it was difficult after all for wizards to set these types of things up outside of Muggle notice, puts a huge strain on the Ministry- but was cut off by Mrs. Weasley snapping George's name.**

Lily managed to pull that tone a little too well, making all four boys jump as well like she'd shot that at them, though she kept reading with a smug smile in place.

**He turned back with an innocent expression that no one bought. His mum demanded to know what was in his pocket, and though he tried to deny it, she shout an Accio spell at him, and brightly colored sweets came zooming out of his pocket right into Molly's hand.**

They frowned now, feeling sorrow at once for the twins. Of course it wasn't their right to interfere with how Mrs. Weasley dealt with her kids, but they still felt it wasn't fair either for her to be treating them like this. All of them agreed there were certainly far worse things they could be doing with their time then trying to invent joke items to make people laugh.

Lily kept herself going though, knowing there was nothing they could do about it.

**She began shouting at them that she'd told them to trash these things, then forced both twins to empty out their pockets. They'd clearly been trying to get out as much as possible,**

"Why?" Harry asked with some interest, feeling like he should know the answer anyways, but now hoping just to distract them just a bit.

"Were probably going to sell them at the Cup or something," Remus sighed.

**and it took Molly using several Accio spells to make them appear out of the lining of their jacket's, and the turn-ups of their pants.**

"Inventive," Sirius sighed in pity for the two, Mrs. Weasley wasn't nearly as bad as his mother, but he had a good idea how the twins were feeling towards their own right then, and it wasn't good.

**Fred shot back at her that they'd spent months developing those! Mrs. Weasley ignored them as she dropped them in the trash.**

"Only tossed them in the bin?" James raised a brow in surprise, "she must know they'll just dig them out later."

"Only six months?" Lily rebutted in surprise. "Those are pretty inventive, I'm genuinely surprised that's only how long it took them."

**She snarled back that they could have spent that time studying for their O.W.L.s!**

"Ouch," all five of them muttered, wishing she wouldn't keep harping on that.

**It was not a happy departure, as Mrs. Weasley tried to give them all a hug goodbye, though the twins ignored this and quickly left without turning to say goodbye.**

Harry couldn't help a little creeping feeling up his spine, wondering why that felt ominous to him. Something to do with the World Cup, something that happened there that would upset Mrs. Weasley about this...then he sneezed, losing all trace of the thought.

**They all set off into the dark towards the hill. It was still chilly outside, and only the vaguest of pink was in the distance hinting at sunrise. Harry, who had before been thinking that thousands of wizards would be flying towards the Cup,**

"Wouldn't say they're not doing that as well," James nodded enthusiastically, "as Arthur said, apparating and Portkeys aren't the only way to travel, and flying's just more fun."

"What are Portkeys?" Harry asked in surprise.

"An object that you can charm to take you anywhere at a set time," Sirius explained. "Like, apparating through using an object. It's much safer though, used for large families, because you don't have to concentrate on anything. You just touch it, and it drags you along."

"That's where you're headed now," James added on, "at least, it makes the most sense why you'd have to be there at a specific time and all this."

**jogged forward to talk to Arthur some more, asking how all the Muggle's don't notice this going on? Mr. Weasley explained it took massive coordination through the wizarding channels, they'd had to find a place to set up that was big enough for this congregation, and places like Diagon Alley wouldn't do.**

"That would be a sight," Remus snickered at all of that offered mayhem.

**They'd found a deserted moor, then spent time setting up the anti-Muggle protective charms. Then they'd had to handle the arrivals, the cheaper the tickets the earlier you had to arrive. Some had to show up two weeks in advance.**

Lily whistled in surprise, imagining missing that much work for this game, but it would come with a bit of a camping trip along as well, so it was probably worth the fun.

**Some had chosen to take the train and other Muggle transportation, but not to many were allowed, they weren't supposed to be clogging up Muggle buses.**

"Plus, we stick out like a sore thumb," Sirius smirked over at James, who definitely was ignoring him now.

**There were those who chose to apparate, but most prefered Portkeys. They were used to take large groups all at once at a set time. Over two hundred of them had been set up all around Britain, and their nearest one was up on Stoatshead Hill, where they were headed now. Mr. Weasley gestured to the hill they were approaching, one of the ridges to Ottery St. Catchpole. Harry asked what type of objects Portkeys were?**

They all noticed that Harry hadn't asked them that, but he was getting so much better about interrupting them when he did have a question, they decided to let that one go.

**Arthur explained they could be anything so long as they were charmed properly, but the items the Ministry chose were throw away things Muggle's would have no want of picking up. In the distance beyond, the sky was just starting to fade from the inky black to the deepest of blue.**

Lily couldn't resist the charm in her voice as she read that. Despite begrudging the early rise, she'd never moan about it in person if she'd got to see that beautiful sunrise on top of a hill which Harry was fixing to witness.

**Then conversation came to a halt all around as they reached the hill and began to climb. It was a steep hill, and they made it up mostly through rabbit rolls and thick tufts of grass. By the time he'd reached the ridge, Harry could feel sharp pains in his chest.**

"Dang, and you lot are all in shape," Remus said in surprise. "Imagine someone elderly, or some little kids trying to make that trek."

"I'm sure someone could help magic them up," James shrugged, "Arthur just didn't because he didn't have a need to."

**Conversation wasn't picked back up as they all began spreading out, looking for this supposed unobscured Portkey, but were hailed down by a man calling out to Arthur. They walked over and Mr. Weasley introduced him as Amos Diggory, who worked for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.**

Remus couldn't help but stiffen a little in unease, stupidly yes, but he'd always had an instinctual fear of that department.

Lily noticed, and though she felt a wash of sympathy for him, she didn't break to say anything, knowing it would only embarrass him.

**And they all knew Cedric of course.**

"Wasn't that the Hufflepuff from last year?" Sirius asked with his head cocked to the side.

Harry felt an odd stirring in the pit of his stomach, unable to stop a frown as he heard that name again. He'd felt something the first time as well, the ghost of a feeling he knew he should have at the name, but it was so hard to hold on to. The most dominant thing was his fourteen year old agitation that this bloke had beaten him out at Quidditch, rightly and had even tried to correct himself when he found out how, but he was the reason Harry lost his first match none the less. There was something else there though, something he desperately knew he needed to remember about Cedric...but all he was getting for his trouble was a terrible mounting headache, one he knew would only get worse if he pressed on this. He had to blink a few times to realize the others had been watching him with a touch of concern, and he tried for an easy smile as he said, "just, trying to not remember something. There's something about Cedric, this year in particular, I don't know what," he finished with a helpless shrug, unable to elaborate.

"You probably face him in Quidditch again or something," James happily offered.

"Maybe you're trying to remember that you beat the dickens out of him this round," Remus smirked.

Harry gave him an unenthusiastic smile back, knowing quite well that wasn't it, but at a loss for what it could be.

Lily kept frowning at her son for a moment longer, she didn't even recognize that expression her son held while he tried to remember this, but it gave her a foreboding feeling. Knowing there was nothing for it though but to let it come back naturally, she decided to keep reading.

**Harry's mental dialogue kicked in as he described Cedric Diggory as an extremely handsome boy of around seventeen.**

"Extremely handsome eh?" Sirius couldn't help but tease, still looking for a way to get rid of that look on Harry's face the boy didn't even seem to realize he was holding. "Maybe we were wrong in saying you fancy Hermione."

Harry rolled his eyes good naturedly at the teasing, but still seemed to distracted to really say anything back, leaving them all just that little bit more uneasy.

**He was Captain and Seeker of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team at Hogwarts. He greeted them politely enough, but no one gave a very enthusiastic reply. Fred and George in particular didn't look very happy to see him, having taken his team's win over theirs personally last year.**

"And rightly so," James nodded seriously, having held onto a few grudges as well of perfectly friendly people who had the gall to beat him as well.

Lily wanted to smack him, knowing he was mostly kidding, but not wanting Harry to get the idea otherwise. One glance at him though showed he was still only half listening at best.

**Amos continued talking to Arthur, asking how far they'd had to walk, saying he'd had to get up at two just to make it. He wasn't complaining of course, this was the Quidditch World Cup! He wouldn't miss this for a sack of gold, which was how much their tickets cost. He'd gotten off easy though, he amended as he glanced at their group. Asking if all of those kids were Arthur's? Mr. Weasley corrected only the redheads.**

"That doesn't drop the count by much," Lily muttered.

**Pointing out first Hermione, then Harry as Ron's friends, but Amos cut him off as his eyes latched onto Harry, exclaiming his full name in surprise.**

"No, Harry Houdini," Remus grumbled, his along with everyone else's eyes narrowing with distaste at Harry's fame being brought up like that again, most annoyingly by an adult who should know a little better.

Harry was plenty distracted now, finally snapping himself away from whatever reason Cedric's name was bothering him, to begin blushing and looking embarrassed all over again at the mention of his full name like that.

**Harry agreed, far too used to the way the man's eyes darted to his hairline to find that lightning scar, but it always made him uncomfortable. Amos began talking loudly about how his Ced had mentioned him, how they'd played Quidditch last year and his son had gotten the better of him! Amos had praised Cedric, telling him that was a story to tell his grandkids, he'd beat Harry Potter!**

"That was his take-away?" James scowled. "Not that his son tried to call a redo when he found out!"

"Guess we're lucky Cedric hasn't turned into a Malfoy," Sirius muttered with distaste. So what if that was a bit harsh, his comment had stung.

**Harry couldn't think of anything to say back to that, while he saw the twin's scowl deepened. Cedric looked very embarrassed now as he tried to curb his dad, saying that Harry had fallen off, it had all been an accident.**

"Do I somehow get the feeling they've had this conversation before?" Remus sighed with pity.

"Least Cedric isn't acting like that," Lily nodded in agreement.

**Mr. Diggory was not listening, continuing to boast about how his son had stayed on while the Boy Who Lived had fallen off, clearly it was obvious who the better flier is!**

All four of them were starting to get more then agitated now, not at all appreciating the reminder of what had made Harry fall off his broom! Let's see Cedric hear the echo of his dead mother and see how well he hangs on! None of them could bring themselves to shout that though, as it wasn't Cedric saying this, but his father who was simply acting like a pompous, but proud father. They just hoped that stupid Portkey would be activating, soon.

**Arthur quickly jumped in now, looking anxiously at his watch as he said it must be nearly time for them to leave.**

"Least he's being perceptive," Lily grumbled.

**Then he asked if they were to be expecting anyone else? Amos said he knew the Lovegoods**

Harry started blinking spastically, there it was all over again, a name he was sure he recognized. At least this time he was positive of the feeling it caused him, a nice warmth that meant he was sure he liked whoever that name was attached to. He didn't linger on it though, as he'd had enough of a headache this chapter from Cedric and his dad.

**were already there, and the Fawcetts hadn't got tickets. That was all in the area. Mr. Weasley agreed, then the eleven of them all crouched around the boot/portkey, all putting a finger on it. Harry had a sudden realization how odd this would be for a Muggle to walk into, seeing all of these people crouched around a manky old shoe at sunrise.**

Lily and Remus at least couldn't help light snickering at this description Harry was painting, while James and Sirius didn't get it. They'd grown up so that this wasn't even close to odd to them, but sometimes for Lily and Remus at least, the magical and blaise way wizards did or didn't realize something was off still amused them.

**Mr. Weasley was still looking at his watch as he kept a finger in place, counting down, and the moment he struck one, Harry felt a hard jerk behind his navel and was yanked off his feet.**

Harry couldn't help going a little round eyed in shock, placing his hand carefully on his stomach to remind himself that feeling washing back over him was not rehapening to him now, causing both boys on either side of him to start laughing this time.

**He was flying through nothing, sounds and sights being ripped away as he sped forward to fast, his finger glued to that boot without his permission, then he was slammed back into the ground, Ron falling hard on his butt on his other side, the Portkey tumbling away. Harry blinked and came back to himself to find Arthur, Amos, and Cedric still on their feet, though looking slightly tossed around. Everyone else was on the ground with him.**

Harry had been feeling a little abashed at once hearing that Cedric had clearly stayed on his feet, but then it melted away at once as clearly he wasn't the only one put off by this mode of travel. James still noticed the expression and gave him a small nudge muttering, "don't worry, Remus still falls down more than half the time with those to. They are not a comfortable ride to get used to."

Harry gave him a grateful smile at once.

**Then a stranger's voice called out the time as seven past five from Stoatshead Hill.**

"That's the end of the chapter," Lily shrugged, giving the book a toss to James.

"Man these are short," James noted.

"Yeah, all the more buildup," Sirius reminded eagerly, already rubbing his hands together in anticipation, knowing that Cup wasn't going to come fast enough.

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Short chapter, quick update.


	7. BAGMAN AND CROUCH

To guest review xiaoweisan: I really don't have a lot of explanation for JK's slip. Considering Remus gets his own subplot later in book six, it really confuses me why she virtually left him out of four, and for the majority of five except that one scene. I, like most of the fandom, kept expecting Remus to pop back up any chapter in cadence with Sirius, helping him on the run, or mentioning he was out looking for the traitor...or anything! It's depressing since he's one of my favorite characters, and it's going to keep being depressing to the Marauders.

It's true that Harry connected to Sirius and began to look at him in a father way, she could hardly wright Sirius out after that but instead found an even more vile way then ignoring him, but what I always wanted to see was for Harry to look at Remus as what an Uncle could really be like. All he gets is Vernon, and yet it would have fascinated me to see Remus trying to play that role right along and kick Vernon's overly large but at it.

As for Ron and Hermione forgetting about him as well, they didn't really have any connection to him outside of he was the best teacher ever, so I let it slide for them a lot more.

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As James started, he prayed to Merlin and anything else that this was the Quidditch chapter already, he'd waited long enough for it!

**Harry had to unravel himself from Ron and his siblings, then looked around to find himself on the edge of a moor. In front of him were two oddly dressed wizards, one holding a watch, the other a long sheaf of parchment. Both had made an attempt at wearing Muggle garb, though both failed;**

Remus already had a grin flickering on him, he loved hearing about wizards poor attempts to dress like Muggles.

**The man with the watch wore a tweed suit with thigh-length galoshes;**

Remus and Lily collectively snorted with amusement at that mental image, while James and Sirius exchanged curious looks, but decided they didn't really want to know what a galosh was. It sounded like some noise one of Hagrid's pets would make.

**his colleague, a kilt and a poncho.**

Lily lost it, and had to press her hand firmly to her mouth to suppress her giggles.

Harry and Remus weren't much better, and this time Sirius did ask, "Which one of those is wrong?" He may know a fair bit about Muggle technology and some of their other things through his Muggle Studies class, but they hadn't gone into great detail about dressing. Mostly, they just wore blue jean material but he wasn't certain why.

"Both," Harry managed to choke out, only having managed to restrain himself back then because he and Hermione had been the only ones to get the joke, and they hadn't wanted to make the wizards feel bad.

**Arthur greeted the man with the list by the name of Basil**

"Does Arthur just know everybody?" Remus asked, only half intelligible since he was still laughing. "I've yet to see him meet anyone he doesn't know the name of."

"I consider this a good thing," James shrugged back.

**while picking up their portkey and handing it over. It was tossed into a bin full of other seeming junk, such as a punctured football.**

**Basil greeted Arthur back, noting that he wasn't on duty, and how lucky he was. The two of them had been at this post all night, then he ushered that they should move along, they had a huge party coming in next. He consulted his list, found the Weasley name, and told them to go seek out Mr. Robert's for their campsite.**

Harry strangely felt a wash of sympathy at the mention of that name, which was puzzling since he had no real feelings towards the actual man. Still put off by the last time he'd dug into a name, he didn't press at it.

**The Diggory's were sent in a separate direction, so Harry's group wandered off, coming across a Muggle stationed at the crest of a hill.**

Harry's feeling of concern only increased, but it only managed to confuse him all the more. Why would he be worried for a Muggle? Why would he be getting worried at all?

"Oh, I guess he owns the campsite then," Sirius said in surprise.

"That poor thing," Lily sighed.

"Why?" James asked at once, feeling that was a bit harsh, wizards weren't that bad around Muggles.

"I can only imagine how confused he must be, wizards aren't very subtle at hiding themselves," she smirked at her husband, who clearly wanted to argue back, but at a loss as to how, he was aware he was pretty bad and he knew plenty of people, like his wife, who tried to correct him on it all the time.

**They greeted each other politely enough, and Arthur told his name and that he'd booked two tents here a few days ago. Mr. Robert's agreed, then asked if they'd be paying for it now? Mr. Weasley agreed, then pulled Harry aside to help him with the Muggle money he'd brought along for this. He correctly identified a ten pound note, then glanced at the next one, saying this was a five? Harry corrected it was a twenty.**

"Where did he get a five from?" Remus asked. "There's a twenty on the note, and he got the ten right."

"I guess the pound symbol looks like a five to him," Lily offered with a shrug, not really sure how he could make the mistake herself, as she found Muggle money far easier to understand then the wizard money that had taken her quite some time to work out.*

**They returned to Mr. Roberts watching them wearily, asking if they were foreign?**

"I'm not surprised that's his first guess," Lily nodded.

**Mr. Weasley was confused by the question, so Mr. Roberts elaborated that he wasn't the first person to be confused by the currency, two others had tried to pay him in giant gold coins.**

James couldn't help a little smile though, at least he wasn't the only one who'd try to do that first in hopes it would work.

**Mr. Robert's continued on in a vague tone now about how strange it was of people pre-booking to come, most just showed up.**

"Yes, well, there's a very big event going on this weekend," Sirius said with a completely straight face.

"That's cause for a little oddity." James agreed.

**He kept going on about how weird some of these people were, running around in kilt's and ponchos.**

Lily, Remus, and Harry began snickering all over again, but this time James just ignored them.

**Arthur was getting anxious now as he tried to get his change and leave, but Mr. Roberts was still prattling on about how all of these odd people seemed to know each other, like they were all here for some party. Then another wizard in plus-fours apparated right in front of them.**

Remus sighed in pity, thinking it was an accidental apparition, and one more thing poor Mr. Robert's would try to analyze. The man's brain would turn to mush by the day's end if this kept up.

**He quickly shot the spell Obliviate at Mr. Roberts.**

"Or he could do that," Lily yelped in mild surprise.

"He was pretty fast on the draw," Sirius nodded in agreement.

**Mr. Robert's face instantly glazed over, an unconcerned smile now floating onto his face, and Harry recognized all of the symptoms of someone who'd recently had their memory modified.**

Which gave them all a bit of a dark laugh, for the first time wondering if Lockhart had ever recovered from that mishap, but none of them able to care too much.

**Mr. Robert's finally handed over Mr. Weasley's change, along with a map of the camp, and bid them good day. The wizard in plus-fours accompanied them out of earshot, muttering about how that was the tenth time he'd had to do that today.**

"Oh dear," Lily squeaked in real fear this time. "That cannot be good for him."

"You'd really think they'd have someone with some muggle knowledge at least around where Mr. Robert's is working, try to keep these people under control at least in front of him so that wouldn't be necessary," Remus agreed with a pitiful frown.

"Would that give him, like permanent brain damage or something?" Harry frowned in sympathy for the poor muggle, deciding those memory charms on him was probably where his memory gap on this man stemmed from.

"I don't _think_ so..." Sirius' tone showed he really didn't even mean that, "But I can't say it's a tested theory either."

"I'm sure he's fine," James couldn't stop a little frown of his own, but he tried to keep up the confidence. "They won't do anything permanent to him." No one could think of anything else to say though, so he decided to keep going and hope this man explaining things would say just that.

**Ludo Bagman wasn't helping anyone,**

"Ludo Bagman's running around there!" Sirius practically screamed, leaning over like he wanted to snatch the book away from James, who held it tightly to his chest now and glared at his hand like he'd bite if he came closer.

Sirius turned his attention on Harry instead, begging, "Please tell me you meet him! I'll take even a passing glance!"

Harry's shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter, but what flowed out of his mouth was a pure gut reaction he didn't have to much problems deciphering, "I've got a good feeling at least, yes."

Sirius looked likely to faint from happiness his little pup was meeting a Quidditch star, so Harry neglected telling him another sinking feeling he was getting about Bagman. He decided he didn't really like the man, something about him bothered Harry, but as always he had no clear idea what.

**running around screaming about Bludgers and Quaffles, not even bothering with the anti-Muggle security. The man still talking couldn't wait for this whole mess to be over, then he bid good day to Arthur and disapparated.**

"I feel so bad for the people who have to work during this," Remus sighed.

"You're right," James nodded along. "This should be a national holiday!"

Lily and Remus snorted at how much he clearly meant that, while James gave an agreeable smirk at Sirius when he agreed before he kept going.

**Ginny turned to her dad in surprise, asking since Bagman was head of a department, shouldn't he know better then to be doing that? Arthur defended him by saying that he'd always been a lax man, but you couldn't ask for a more enthusiastic Head. He'd played Quidditch for England and was the best Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps yet.**

"I wonder what year he retired," Sirius couldn't seem to stop himself from blurting out, though James in no way looked upset as he grinned at Sirius getting wound up about this. "What do you think his stats were like by then, better and he ended on a high, or slowly going down so he retired early? Who do you-"

"Sirius," Lily cut in, knowing he could go on like this for hours. "Please, you lot can talk about this over dinner and I won't say a word, but let him get through this first."

Sirius stuck his tongue out at her and crossed his arms in a pouting gesture, but bit his tongue as James kept going.

**They made their way into the campsite, finding most normal looking tents, but a few standouts, such as one that housed a chimney, or one done up in pure silk with peacocks out front.**

'Wonder if the Malfoy's showed up' Remus thought in surprise, knowing that was their preferred animal, and they'd do nothing less than the best even in tent form. He really hoped Harry didn't run across them though, really hoping for just a nice calm Quidditch filled weekend.

**One even had three tents stacked on top of each other, complete with a sundial in front.**

Lily had been giggling almost none stop for all of those descriptions, remembering her plans of taking the family camping, and just imagining James and Sirius trying to set all of that up as well, oh they were going to have so much fun.

**Arthur was smiling as he passed all of this by, saying that it was common when Wizards got together they'd always try to show off.**

"That's always true of communities," Sirius muttered, thinking it wasn't always a good thing either.

**Then he spotted their place, right on the edge of the woods, with a small picket marking their spots, with the name Weasley misspelled as Weezly.**

James couldn't help a little snort of surprise, then spelled out how Weasley had been misspelled, causing the others the same reaction. "How did they screw that up?" Harry demanded with an eye roll. "Mr. Weasley would have given them his name to mark the spot."

"Maybe he has bad handwriting," Sirius shrugged.

"Or it was someone's idea of a joke," Remus offered, thinking of the time he'd convinced most of Gryffindor house to call Sirius and James Brown and Pottam for the day.

**Mr. Weasley couldn't be more excited, saying they'd gotten the best spot as the trail leading to the stadium started right next to them. Then he set himself of setting up the tent, with no magic allowed.**

"Oh this should be fun," Lily smirked, already thinking of poor Arthur trying to work all of this out, though at least he'd probably get a kick out of it.

**Harry had never been camping before, but he and Hermione worked out how the poles and pegs were to be set up. Mr. Weasley was more of a hindrance than a help, but not from lack of trying. He just tended to get overly excited when the time came to use the mallet.**

"At least he's enjoying himself," Remus agreed with Lily, thinking of an over enthusiastic James and Sirius acting much the same way.

**They finally managed to erect a pair of shabby two-man tents.**

"He only brought two?" Harry asked in surprise, thinking that would hardly be enough space after doing a headcount.

James just gave him a knowing smile though, he had a very good idea that Arthur wasn't doing this all Muggle, but kept going to see if he was right.

**Arthur ducked into one and called back they'd be a bit cramped, but they'd make it work. Harry exchanged a puzzled look with Hermione before they ducked in and their jaws dropped.**

Something Harry did again now as he visibly remembered what he'd walked into, causing the four of them to give affectionate laughs, knowing they'd never get tired of watching him react to magic.

**It was a miniature version of an apartment, complete with beds and a stove. Harry found it strangely reminded him of Mrs. Figg's place,**

"That's probably just coincidence," Remus shrugged. "The Engorgement Charm placed on them would have reacted to the person who'd placed it. Though it might adapt to the person setting it up," he added on thoughtfully, never having considered the idea, but magic was known to change form.

"I think it's the second," Lily nodded in agreement. "It wouldn't be the first time I've heard magic acting like that."

**as it smelled strongly of cats. Mr. Weasley explained he'd borrowed this from Perkins,**

"Wasn't that the guy Mr. Weasley works with in his office?" Sirius puzzled. "Guess that means he's not coming to the game."

**who used to go camping a lot until his lumbago got to him. Then he spotted an empty kettle, and said they'd need to find a place to collect water. Ron had ducked in behind them, saying he'd seen a spot for that on the map. He showed no reaction whatsoever at the interior being larger inside than out.**

"Well of course he isn't," Harry sighed, now feeling slightly foolish for his surprise, of course Mr. Weasley would think ahead like that, though since Hermione had been thinking the same thing at the time at least he wasn't the only one.

**Arthur asked Ron and his two friends to go fetch it while they stayed back and cooked up a fire.**

"Even more fun," Sirius perked up, "I hope you get to roast some marshmellows!"

**Ron asked why they'd need to do that as they had a stove, and Arthur said that they were supposed to be doing things as Muggles, and they cooked over fires at these campsites. The three departed, wandering through the endless sea of tents, and Harry was looking around with interest as it only just began occurring to him how many wizards there were in other countries.**

Harry nodded to himself as these thoughts trickled back to him, wondering why he had a feeling his knowledge of the world of magic was fixing to expand quite a lot this year...something about Hogwarts, or maybe it was another wizarding school, did those even exist? Of course they did, he corrected himself, Hogwart's couldn't be the only one.

**The camps with small children were already beginning to arouse, toddles seen crawling out of tents. They passed one of about two, who held a wand in his hand and was poking a slug, with each prod it grew larger until it was nearly the size of a loaf of bread.**

Sirius gave the baby in his lap an affectionate little cuddle while Lily and James exchanged indulgent smiles, treasuring every moment they had with their toddler, and already trying to picture him when he got to that age.

**As they drew level with him, his mother came hurrying out of the tent, telling off the infant, Kevin, for touching daddy's wand, and ending with a squeal of disgust.**

"Tell daddy to stop leaving it around," Lily smirked, already picturing herself instead of that mother, Harry instead of little Kevin, James being thoroughly confused, then abundantly pleased, when he found out his son was engorging slugs with his wand.

**She'd stepped on the slug, causing it to burst. The sound of her scolding her child faded as they walked past, along with the little boy's delight that his mommy had squashed his slug.**

Causing all five of them to laugh merrily, that was a picture perfect moment.

**Not too much farther away were two little girls gliding along on miniature brooms that barely rose a foot off the ground.**

Sirius' eyes sparked with interest, he had already pre-ordered one of those for Harry for his first birthday, and couldn't wait to see his little pup gliding around this living room carpet on it.

**A Ministry official had spotted them and came hurrying past the trio, muttering about how the parents were letting them do that where anyone could see, probably sleeping in.**

"They are on vacation," James shrugged. "And I don't see why Mr. Robert's would come wandering into the campsite, give them a bit of a break."

**Some adults were starting to come out as well, taking a quick look around, and then shooting a spell to create a fire before anyone could notice. Others were clearly tempted to do this soon, looking at a box of matches as if sure this couldn't be useful.**

"Then I hope they all get a real surprise," Remus laughed.

**Three African wizards sat in serious conversation,**

"Wow, they're even talking about me in Africa," Sirius smirked, happy he was on the opposite side of Harry so none of his friends could take a swing at him.

**all of them wearing long white robes and roasting what looked like a rabbit on a bright purple fire,**

Harry blinked in surprise at the color, the question bursting out of him before he even had time to process, "Do other countries have to say the same spells in the same language as Hogwarts? Is that why the fire's a different color, because they translate them, or are they universal?"

Lily's eyes brightened as they always did whenever she had the opportunity to look into new things, starting out by voicing, "Well I know for a fact that saying the spell is just a way to channel magic, but the incantations themselves aren't set in stone. After all, accidental magic doesn't require a command word, it's simply your mind using your magic in an uncontrolled way. The wand and spells are designed to help you direct your powers, which makes your magic more focused and powerful." She only paused for a moment, thinking through her answer to make sure of it, before concluding, "So I would have to say no, other countries most likely do have a different system for their spell casting. Most of ours are in Latin, with some exceptions, but I presume these African folk for example have a different spell to create fire then our Incendio, creating the different color through their own phrasing of it."

Harry was watching her with wide eyed fascination, even James and Sirius looked pretty intrigued as they'd never thought too deeply about this, but when Remus made to jump in, that old light in his eyes saying he may even be creating a debate's worth of commentary on the subject, James quickly jumped in saying, "Alright, more fun things to discuss later. Sirius and I can go crazy badgering Harry about Quidditch stats he will hopefully remember, and you two can have a gay old time discussing that." This time Remus stuck his tongue out at his two friends, but didn't protest.

**while a group of middle-aged American witches sat gossiping happily beneath a spangled banner stretched between their tents that read: THE SALEM WITCHES' INSTITUTE.**

"What's that?" Harry asked quickly, for the first time trying to get information about other wizard schools other than his own, "The American Hogwart's? Salem is in the United States, yes?" He vaguely recalled, either from his History of Magic or perhaps his primary school, he'd never payed attention to either honestly, some terrible movement against witches involving a place called Salem.

"Yes there's a Salem in the United States, but no, there school is called Ilvermorny,"** Remus shrugged. "I think this is some kind of women's organization."

**The longer they walked, the more conversations they heard from all languages, but they all held the same tone. Excitement. Then Ron suddenly pointed out that everything had gone green. The trio had wandered into a patch of tents, every inch of which were covered in shamrocks.**

Sirius began laughing anew, having known a few Irish supporters in his time at Hogwarts, and they were well known for going all out like this.

**As they were walking through, they heard their names shouted from behind, and turned to see a fellow Gryffindor in their year named Seamus Finnigan, his mother, and his best friend Dean Thomas, also of their year and house. Seamus greeted them by asking if they liked the decorations?**

"Yes, yes I do," James nodded happily, knowing he wouldn't be much better if his preferred team had made the Cup.

**Adding on that the Ministry wasn't happy about it,**

"I just cannot imagine why," Lily rolled her eyes indulgently.

**but Mrs. Finnigan happily said she didn't care, they were proud to show their colors! She also added on it was still better than what the Bulgarians had done, then quickly asked them if they were Ireland supporters?**

"Here's hoping Harry has more sense than those two," Remus muttered quietly to Lily, who nodded while she watched James and Sirius smirk. They knew full well they'd love to start a Quidditch fight by supporting the opposite team in the middle of that field, possibly start a riot, it would be plenty of fun.

**They all quickly said of course they were, while walking away, Ron adding once they were out of sight that they could hardly say anything else.**

"Such a missed opportunity," Sirius sighed, shaking his head tragically, still unable to keep that smile off his face.

**Hermione asked what the Bulgarians had done.**

"With any luck, Vultures will be circling everywhere," James snickered.

**Harry said they could go check, as he spotted their flag waving nearby. When they got there, they found every available tent surface covered in the face of the scowling Seeker, Viktor Krum.**

"Ooh, new blood," Remus nodded.

"He must be good, to be the star player on everyone's tent," Lily shrugged.

"Wasn't Charlie talking about him earlier," Sirius mused. "Hadn't he said he was such an excellent Seeker, it would be a tough game just between him and the whole other team?"

"This match is going to be wicked," James looked like that smile was going to be frozen in place very soon, hoping it would come up anytime now!

**Hermione's first comment was that he looked grumpy.**

Harry gave a funny laugh, though he wasn't sure why. Something about Hermione and Krum though, why would he have a feeling about that?

**Ron was flabbergasted that's what she noticed. He was the best Seeker in the world, and so young, only eighteen!**

"Wow, and their star player," James was practically bouncing in his seat by this point. "He's got a nice long career ahead of him."

"Or early retirement, assuming a Bludger doesn't knock him stupid," Lily muttered.

**They finally reached the water pickup, to find a line had already formed. They got a few paces behind a man in a flowery nightgown,**

Lily, Harry, and Remus cracked all over again, even James and Sirius joined in this time as they were certain that even in the muggle world, blokes weren't exactly supposed to be wearing gowns.

**arguing with a Ministry wizard holding a pair of pants, and nearly crying from exasperation as he tried to explain to the dressed man named Archie that Muggle men don't wear those. Archie argued back he'd bought what he was wearing in a Muggle shop.**

"Well, he's not wrong," Lily managed to get out breathily.

**Muggle women, the Ministry wizard corrected, trying to get Archie to take the pants, but the elder man wouldn't hear it, saying he liked what he was wearing, it created a nice healthy breeze around his parts.**

Causing the boys to continue melting into the cushions with laughter, tears nearly coming to their own eyes they'd been laughing so much lately. Why couldn't they have just started with this book, it was certainly the most enjoyable yet. Waving aside that pesky first chapter which they had all adamantly put behind them, they were all finally starting to hope this good feeling would last a whole year.

**Hermione couldn't stop giggling through the whole exchange, which lasted until it was Archie's turn to collect his water, which he did with dignity, his dress swaying in the breeze as he left. Having to walk more slowly now weighted down with the water, they reversed course and this time through the maze of tents found a few more fellow Hogwarts students, including Oliver Wood, Harry's old Quidditch Captain.**

"Ooh, there's going to be a new Quidditch Captain this year," James yelped in remembered excitement, now realizing that Harry wasn't it, and wishing he'd gotten more of an insight into the rest of his team to see who it was. He was upset for his son it wasn't him, but he supposed as a fourth year it would be too soon for him anyways. Surely someone else would graduate and his son would get the chance before he left school though.

**He dragged Harry over to his parents while informing him that he'd been assigned on the reserve team of Puddlemere United.**

"Congratulations to him," Sirius nodded, really meaning it. They'd all had some irksome moments when it came to Wood's captaining, but the boy was a good player and he did deserve that at least. Hopefully working with professionals would help him with his, ah, team problems.

**Then they ran into Ernie Macmillian, a Hufflepuff in their year. Then Cho Chang, a very pretty girl who was a year above them and Seeker for Ravenclaw, gave Harry a wave as he passed.**

Both James and Sirius gave Harry not so subtle little nudges, which he still dutifully ignored despite the blush trying to prove otherwise. For some reason whenever he thought of Cho, he didn't get a real feeling for her. Sure she was still pretty even in his memory, and while he was certain he may have liked her at the time, she held no interest to him for any length of time.

**Harry sloshed most of the water he was carrying down his front as he waved back.**

Causing all of them to smile at him now, and Harry to burrow even deeper into his seat, trying his best to avoid all eyes and brush his bangs onto his forehead with nerves. The exact opposite reaction of what James would have done giving Sirius and Remus an extra shot of delight.

**In hopes to change the subject, the next time they passed a group of kids their age but he in no way recognized, Harry asked what school they went to, certainly not Hogwarts. Ron just shrugged and said it was probably some foreign school. His older brother Bill had pen palled with one from Brazil for a while, but when they'd tried to set up an exchange and Bill couldn't afford it, his pen pal had got all offended and sent Bill a cursed hat, which shriveled up his ears.**

"Wasn't that one called Castelobruxo?" Sirius asked, finally stopping his smirking at Harry.

"Sounds right," James shrugged, wincing in sympathy for Bill.

**Harry was shocked to hear there were more wizarding schools besides his own, but in retrospect he felt stupid as it made sense that there were several nationalities here, and not all of them could be attendance at just one place.**

"Not stupid," Lily corrected at once. "It only just now occurred to you of the wider world, all kids come to that moment at some point."

Harry gave her a bright smile back, never growing tired of anyone in the room trying to correct his negative side, always feeling a happy bubble the more he realized he'd never had the experience before, though it only increased the craving every time that he had grown up not knowing all of them.

**He gave a quick look at Hermione who was unphased by the news. Surely she'd come across this fact in one of her books.**

"Would not surprise me," Remus agreed.

**When they got back to their campsite, George complained at them they'd taken forever.**

"Well you were taking your time," Sirius chuckled.

**Ron just shrugged that they'd met some people along the way, then asked why the fire wasn't going yet? They looked around and saw Arthur was trying with enthusiasm, striking the matches against the box as he should, but several littered attempts around him proved what they saw next, he lit the end then dropped it in surprise.**

Giving Lily and Remus another friendly giggle, picturing that all too easily.

**Hermione kindly went over to him and helped to show him how to do it without killing it, then they had to wait some time for the fire to get warm enough to cook anything. While they waited, Mr. Weasley kept up a running commentary of everybody who ran by, mostly for Harry and Hermione's benefit as his own kids knew most of this already.**

"Well I'm glad for it," Lily's eyes continued to brighten with interest, knowing she'd much rather enjoy the thoroughfare of the Ministry rather than Quidditch.

**One man named Gilbert Wimple was hurrying past, he was on the Committee on Experimental Charms, and happened to have some horns sprouting, though according to Arthur they'd been there awhile.**

"There's a point of conversation," Sirius smirked.

**Then two men passed named Bode and Croaker, who were Unspeakables. Harry asked what that was, and Mr. Weasley explained they worked for the Department of Mysteries, and no one outside that field knew what they got up to.**

Harry felt a terrible tightening in his gut at the mention of that place, unconsciously moving closer to Sirius, causing his Godfather to give him a look of surprise, though neither of them said anything, knowing if they did Harry would be the one to pay for it. Still, the motion bothered Sirius, and he was finally distracted from the upcoming game to let his mind wander back and wonder what he was up to, had he gotten Harry's letter yet, and why would that place have any connection to him?

**Just as they were setting the kettle on, the rest of the Weasley's appeared, Percy greeting them by saying they'd just got done Apparating.**

"Thank you, captain obvious," James snorted. "Here I thought you'd frog marched."

"How did they know where we were?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Remember that little post from where your portkey landed," Remus reminded him. "They would have gotten the same instructions as you from there."

**The next person to arrive, Mr. Weasley greeted very warmly, calling him the man of the hour as he greeted Ludo.**

Which gave Sirius an instant distraction, Harry's odd moment completely lost in his mind. The Ludo Bagman! "So you do meet him!" he practically screeched in Harry's ear, causing him to quickly reverse course and edge away from him, rubbing at his ear but grinning all the same.

"Guess I was right that time," he agreed easily, though still unable to shake that feeling that he didn't enjoy the man's company long.

**Bagman certainly stuck out, even more then Archie in his dress.**

"Now that's saying something," Lily smirked.

**He was wearing his old Quidditch robes, slightly too tight around his girth, which had thick yellow and black strips all down it, with a wasp pressed into the chest.**

"Thinking someone's being a wee bit nostalgic," Remus snickered.

**He had a round, childishly happy face, with large blue eyes, and a squashed nose, which could easily have come from one to many bludgers crushing it.**

Sirius was practically quivering with excitement, wondering when that had come up, had it cost them the game, had he persevered through it and Bludgeoned someone off in retaliation!?

**He practically bounced to their side, giving them a warm greeting, and walking as if he had springs in his heels.**

"As he should be," James nodded along, his tone conveying the exact same feelings.

**He greeted Arthur, then began at once talking of the coming match, speaking of the perfect weather and how all the arrangements had turned out perfectly, there was hardly anything Ludo could find to do! Behind him, Harry spotted two Ministry officials gesturing to a large purple plume of smoke that was rising.**

"Timing," Remus exclaimed, not even bothering to fight down his laughter much anymore.

"Guess those African's got out of hand," Lily chuckled.

**Percy jumped forward at once. Clearly whatever he disliked about the way Bagman ran his department, he still wanted to show a good front.**

"Let's see him say that to his face," Sirius sniffed, never liking two faced people.

**Arthur introduced first Percy, then Fred, quickly correcting that one was George, and that one was Fred-**

"Even the parent's get them backwards," James smirked, still nursing and quite liking the idea if he could somehow have twins in his future.

**before continuing along the lot, ending with Harry. Bagman's eyes at once flashed to the scar on Harry's forehead, but then he easily met Harry's eyes and gave him a smile.**

"Least he was subtle about it," Lily sniffed, still sore as the rest of them from Mr. Diggory's presence.

"He's an international Quidditch player," Sirius offered. "I'm guessing he's used to fame, and he's being polite enough not to shove on Harry about it."

**Then Arthur introduced Ludo Bagman as the one who'd gotten them their tickets! Bagman waved him off, saying it was no big deal, then asked if they'd like to put anything on the match? He gave a bag hanging from his belt a suggestive clinking noise.**

Harry's instincts rose even more, his eyes narrowing as he was now sure this had something to do with his own disapproval of Bagman, something about him...and maybe Ron? It was definitely one of the Weasley's...at least he thought so...

**He mentioned a few other people who'd already placed money down, and Mr. Weasley agreed he'd give a Galleon for Ireland to win. Bagman was clearly disappointed at those low stakes, but wrote him a slip for it anyways. Then Bagman offered if any of his kids wanted in, and Arthur tried to say they were too young, Molly wouldn't approve-**

"Molly's not there," James scoffed. "It's their money, let them be."

Lily narrowed her eyes at her husband, she didn't much approve of gambling and quite agreed with Arthur, and most likely with Molly, that those kids shouldn't be until they were at least of age, but didn't pick an argument for it now.

**the twins completely ignored him and offered up a huge sum of money,**

Harry's gut went haywire, there it was, it was the twins and Bagman that made him feel so uneasy, but then Remus gave a breathy whistle as he said, "Well they're certainly playing to win," and the feeling was gone at once, to be replaced by a sharp pain for his trying to understand the connection. He just crossed his arms in disappointment and agreed aloud that he hoped it payed off.

**that Ireland would win, but Krum got the Snitch.**

At once, Harry again felt a pull, something in him saying that he should have a memory about this bet, but considering he'd just dealt with a mental backlash he wasn't going to push it.

**Then they threw in one of their fake wands. Percy tried to tell them off for that, saying Bagman wouldn't want to see such rubbish, but Bagman turned out to be delighted when it turned into a rubber chicken, causing him to laugh loudly.**

"I'm loving him more and more," Sirius cheered, his own eyes shining with childlike glee. "Any man who can laugh at that has a great sense of humor, oh I really hope those twins win now! Can you imagine them getting in good terms with Bagman! They might even get a sponsorship and-"

"Breathe Sirius," Remus said peaceably, at least trying to reign his friend in. "Let's see if they win the match first." Though privately he was thinking it could work out the way Sirius was picturing even if they didn't win their bet, if Bagman did like their ideas enough there was some great potential room in there.

**Bagman happily agreed to the terms. Percy's face looked like he'd been smacked he was so disapproving.**

"I still don't care," James happily chirped, like his friends all too pleased at where that could head.

**Arthur tried one more time, saying that was their life savings,**

"Bagman really should consider that their father is telling them no," Lily sighed, "And back him up. It's rude otherwise."

"They're, what, about a year from turning seventeen?" Sirius shot back. "When's their birthday Harry?" He directed, looking to make his point.

"April first," Harry shrugged.

The boys blinked in surprise, before all four of them cracked up laughing at how perfect these twins had been born on April Fool's day. Sirius quickly collected himself though, continuing like Harry had just made his point for him, "Less than a year then, their father really shouldn't get too much of a say what they do with their money."

Lily sighed, still in disagreement that Bagman wasn't showing proper manners, but before she could say anything else, Harry asked, "You guy's got any predictions for the game?"

"Sadly not," James pouted, "as we don't know their stats or anything, otherwise I would put some money down."

**but Bagman laughed Arthur off, saying they knew what they were doing. He wrote down their bet and a slip for them, adding on five Galleons to the boy's deed for the fake wand.**

"Oh I definitely want to meet this guy in person," James wriggled around in pleasure, more than pleased to meet someone who was giving such vivid support to the twins.

**Arthur stopped arguing the point as the twins handed over their money and tucked their slip safely away. Bagman turned back to Mr. Weasley cheerfully and asked if he'd seen Crouch around? He'd just had a run in with the Bulgarian minister, and he needed a translator, and as Crouch spoke over fifty languages he'd be a help.**

Harry blinked in surprise, trying to process how you could cram so many languages into your head, but looking around he saw this wasn't new information to the others, which meant Crouch must have made this public knowledge often. He'd probably been at it for years then.

**Percy happily jumped back in now, saying his boss knew over two hundred! Beginning to list some, such as Mermish, Troll- but Fred cut him off by pointing out anyone could speak troll, you just point and grunt.**

Giving the boys yet another happy round of chuckling, fully agreeing with Fred on that point.

**Percy gave his brother a fire shot look.**

"Was he really expecting them to be impressed or something?" Lily snorted. "I'm positive Percy's mentioned this a dozen times to them, does he keep expecting a different response?"

"He's fighting a losing battle if so," James agreed.

**Arthur then asked of Bagman if there'd been any news of Bertha Jorkins?**

Then James gave a deep sigh, wondering why he couldn't go one chapter without that being brought up of late. He just wanted to enjoy the Cup, not keep thinking of that poor dead girl and the return of Voldemort, was that too much to ask for?!

**Bagman didn't seem concerned as he brushed that off, saying this wasn't the first time she'd gotten herself lost. She'd probably show up in October still thinking it was July.**

Making all five of them wince in sympathy, sadly knowing that not to be true.

**Arthur tried to say it was time someone went looking, but Bagman just laughed and said Barty kept saying the same thing, but it really was pointless. As if their talking had summoned him, a new wizard appeared on their sight, making a stark contrast to Bagman. He held himself impeccably, wearing a fine suite and proper tie.**

"I can already see why Percy's in love with him," Sirius snorted.

**His hair and beard were perfectly groomed, and it was easy to see why Percy thought so much of him. His every demeanor showed he was a rule follower, he'd accorded himself so well to the Muggle clothes he looked like a broker.**

"I at least give the others credit for trying," Lily gave yet another smirk as she flashed back to all of those flashy outfits she'd heard about. "Not all the wizards have the means to look into that kind of thing before hand, I'm sure he probably had someone lay the outfit out for him and probably didn't even look into it himself."

**Harry doubted even Vernon would have spotted him for what he really was.**

"You are not encouraging him to us," Remus sniffed in disdain.

**Bagman happily offered him to take a seat with them, but Crouch said he hadn't the time, he'd been looking all over for him. The Bulgarian minister had found him, and was insisting they needed twelve more sets up in the Top Box. Bagman was surprised that's what was going on, he'd thought the chap had been asking for some tweezers.**

All of them couldn't help another snort of amusement, picturing that conversation taking place a nice laugh.

**Percy reacted at once to Crouch's arrival, giving him a bow then asking if he'd like some tea? Crouch only gave him a half glance, saying that would be nice, then referring to him as Weatherby.**

"Ouch," Lily winced in sympathy while the boy's only laughed harder. She felt bad for him, clearly all of his hard work at the office wasn't paying him too much good yet if Crouch didn't even know Percy's name yet.

**His siblings chocked into their drinks while Percy turned pink and went to work.**

"He's not going to correct him?" James asked in surprise.

"I'm sure Crouch could call him Grindelwald and Percy wouldn't correct him," Sirius snorted, not really noticing Harry give an odd start at the name.

**Crouch then turned to Arthur, saying he'd needed to speak with him as well.**

"That almost feels like a slap in the face to Percy," Remus still had a bemused smile in place even if he was starting to feel a little bad for it. "He's literally talking to Percy's dad, and didn't acknowledge the name mess-up."

"I've got a feeling Crouch would sooner eat his highly polished shoe then correct himself," Lily huffed.

**A man named Bashir was demanding that flying carpets be let into the country, and Arthur gave a heavy sigh as he said he'd had this conversation before. Those were classified under Muggle Artifacts by the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects! Crouch agreed as much, saying that Bashir was still looking to export here in Britain. Bagman jumped in saying they'd never replace the broom, but Crouch countered that Bashir had the idea they'd become a family mode of transport.**

"Well he's got a point there," Lily nodded, her mind spinning curiously. "I suppose if they were charmed to simply look like a cloud or something, Muggle's wouldn't even pay too much attention to them. I really can see how they could work."

"I still don't see those replacing brooms," James shrugged, "plus, it's the same problems with the flying car. You can enchant it all day, but the charms will wear off, and eventually some Muggle will notice. It'll cause more harm than good I'm sure."

A spark of interest was still there in Lily's eyes, she looked fully prepared to actually start a debate with her husband about it, but Sirius groaned and pleaded, "can we do this later, I want to hear about the Cup, and this book's been dragging on it long enough already."

Lily huffed as she muttered "you never let me have any fun," but didn't argue as James happily kept going.

**Crouch agreed his grandfather had owned one that could seat a dozen, before they were outlawed of course. His tone making it perfectly clear even his ancestors had abided by every law.**

Harry felt a funny feeling about that, like he should laugh at Crouch and something to do with a law? Does he do something illegal? Harry couldn't process it very well, he was too busy watching Sirius pantomiming like he was trying to remove a stick from his arse.

**Bagman changed the subject then, asking if he was very busy? Crouch agreed he was, it wasn't easy getting five continents organized. Mr. Weasley asked if they'd both be glad when this was all done, and Bagman was shocked, saying he was enjoying himself! Then again, there was something else to look forward to organizing, giving Crouch a conspiratorial wink.**

"Now what's this?" Remus asked in surprise. "Something else that the Head of Sports is also involved in?"

"Clearly not just some dull meeting then," James nodded in curious agreement.

**Crouch gave Bagman a stern look which he ignored, as he went on to say that everyone had signed, these kids would want to know! It was happening at Hogwarts-**

"What?" All five of them yelped in surprise this time.

"Now what on earth-" Lily began faintly, shooting furtive looks at Harry, a sad but familiar feeling of fear starting to creep into her already. She was being paranoid of course, just because something was going down at the school this year didn't automatically place her son in danger, but she really couldn't beat the feeling away anymore, it had too much practice settling a coldness in her chest.

Harry was blinking spastically, just knowing something was there, this was a part of the echoing feeling he'd held when this was mentioned earlier, but it wasn't complete yet. Nor was it boding well that his first instinct was to not be pleased about it.

Still, none of them had a clue what this could be, so James kept going for now in hopes Bagman would say more.

**Crouch cut back in with force this time, saying they needed to see to the Bulgarian's. Just as Percy was done with his tea, he handed it back and thanked him, again calling him Weatherby.**

That wasn't as distracting and funny the second time, only Sirius managing a faint laugh at Percy's expense while the others were still wrapped up in curiosity.

**Bagman happily agreed they could get going, then promised to see the rest of them tonight. He was commentating up in the Top Box with them.**

James actually almost passed out, that distracted him! "Y-you-you're in the t-top-" he was clearly unable of stuttering that out, his eyes likely to fall onto his glasses any second they were getting so wide with excitement.

"You've literally got the best seat in the house," Sirius half screeched, "and they were just given to you! I'd pay my weight in gold for that kind of seat!"

Harry had a wide smile indeed on his face, childishly pleased at the experience he was fixing to get. The only thing that would make it better was having the four of them hear about it with him, so that he could picture all the more easily what it would have been like had they really been up there with him.

James was left a gasping mess before he slapped his brain back into action, already half yelling his excitement as he continued.

**Bagman gave one last cheerful wave before they both Disapparated, and Fred at once pounced on his father, demanding to know what was going on at Hogwarts? He just gave a small smile as he said they'd see.**

"Now that's just cruel," Lily sighed, though clearly none of the boy's noticed. She seemed the only one left to ponder on the Hogwart's part, the males were all jittering in place for the match to come.

**Percy agreed that was classified, Bagman had been foolhardy even mentioning that much. Fred snapped at him to shut up, now referring to him as Weatherby as well.**

"That jokes not going away anytime soon," Remus muttered to himself, more excited then he would care to admit to listen to this coming game.

**As dusk began to settle, the Ministry gave up. More and more wizards were releasing their pent up excitement, so much so that it was no longer possible to contain.**

Lily sighed, already rubbing at her ear in discontent, but still unable to tell off James for being so blatantly excited for what he was reading. He needed this release, Peter's betrayal would most likely return eventually and continue to eat away at him, so she knew she'd let him carry on like this as long as he could.

**Salesmen were starting to appear, carts full of memorabilia for both teams, including Bulgarian scarves that roared like lions.**

"I'd buy one of those just so I could take it back to Hogwarts," Sirius smirked, "it's a two for deal."

**Ron happily told his friends he'd been saving up his pocket money for ages for this, buying a shamrock hat, and a miniature figure of Krum.**

"Good to see Ron supporting his team," Remus snickered, now more unclear than ever which side he was rooting for.

**Harry spotted something else and darted off to look at brass binoculars, which were covered in knobs and dials.**

"Ooh, another good buy," James all but squeed. "Can be more than useful outside of just watching Quidditch games at Hogwart's to. We used them all the time to spy on the other houses, and the teachers, and-"

"Okay," Lily did cut in this time, "I sleep better having less knowledge of what you lot did in your free time in and outside of that castle."

"You know you love our stories," Sirius shot back at once, and his smirk only grew when Lily didn't deny it. Still, James was too pent up for the Cup to let them keep at it.

**The sales wizard happily told them they were omnioculars, could be used to show play by plays of the game, reverse footage so you could replay, and only ten Galleons. Ron pouted that he wished he hadn't gotten his hat now, but then Harry bought three pairs for them. Ron tried to protest, always having been embarrassed his family sported so little money.**

"Ah they get over it," James said from experience, watching Remus pretend to ignore his friends eyeing him. "You just got to keep at it and wave away the thanks, they repay you back in other ways."

**Harry laughed it off, saying he wasn't going to give Ron anything for Christmas for ten years instead.**

Causing Sirius to release a bark like laughter as he joked, "that's all you spend on his presents, a galleon? For shame Harry, I think you actually owe him a few more now."

Harry pretended to look offended for a few moments, but he couldn't hold the expression long as he started laughing.

**Ron happily agreed now, and Hermione showed back up, thanked Harry and said that she'd gotten them programs.**

"Oh yes, I'm so sure that was on their to do list," Remus nodded, feigning a straight face.

"She really saved them some gold by taking that task on," James agreed with a solemn nod, before the chuckling continued.

**Their money bags considerably lighter,**

"Worth it," Harry smirked.

**they went back to find the others also bedecked with souvenirs, except the twins.**

"I'm sure they won't regret that if it pays off," Sirius snickered.

**Mr. Weasley was just saying how it would happen any minute now, when a gong went off, and lights began coming to life in the forest, glowing red and green lanterns marking a path. Arthur's excitement was as visible as anyone as he told them it was time to go.**

James mouth sagged in shock when he realized that his chapter was over, then he turned the wideset eyes to Sirius, before his face turned just as quickly away and he handed over the book.

* * *

A lot of this chapter turned out to be Remus and Lily ganging up on James and Sirius, and I'm not sorry for that. It was pretty fun, and the reason I sat those two beside each other.

*I googled what British money looks like, sorry my American is showing, and from what I could tell British have the number's on their money as well, so that was my best guess at Arthur's confusion. If I'm wrong and there's something else going on, please correct me.

**Childishly happy shout out to the American and all other wizarding schools being revealed after all these years. I got sorted into Horned Serpent, let me know yours.


	8. THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP

In response to DiamondGoddess (who actually posted this question back in chapter 2 of PoA but I wanted to address it here in the hopes that guest reader comes to this part and finds it) who asked; Is Regulus still alive in this fic? Since he died at 16 in the books I'm assuming he is dead by now in this timeline?

Response: Did he die at 16 in the books? I thought he didn't until at least after school...either way if he is dead then Sirius doesn't know because he doesn't keep track of him or anyone else in his family.

To xiaoweisan: thanks, I always love to hear what your favorite/ funniest part of the chapter is!

Here's the hyped up Quidditch World Cup!

* * *

Sirius cradled the book in his hands for a moment, a curiously contemplative look on his face, pretending he couldn't hear James mumbling under his breath, "he got to read about Harry's Championship game last year- can't believe he gets all the good ones."

Sirius, unbelievably, didn't even hesitate as he gave the book a toss back and said, "knock yourself out Prongs."

James caught it with fumbling fingers and was still blinking in shock at his best friend, causing Sirius to smirk all the wider as he shrugged and said, "what, I'm not going to argue the point. You're right, I got a whole Quidditch game where Harry won, you should get the lesser of them with just some stupid World Cup."

James couldn't resist sticking his tongue out at him for the picking, he knew reverse psychology when he heard it, but it wasn't going to work! Sirius had given this up, and he wasn't getting it back!

**They joined the throng of people heading into the trail, every camper on premises shouting, singing, and causing the air itself to fill with excitement.**

Lily more than agreed. She wasn't even fond of the sport and she held an ever growing smile on her face, all the boys in the room acting like they were on a sugar high they were so excited to be hearing about this. It had certainly been built up enough.

**Harry couldn't wipe a smile off his face as they made it through the forest, and wound up in the shadows of the largest stadium Harry had ever seen. It was solid gold and so large he could imagine several whole cathedrals fitting inside. Mr. Weasley noticed the look of awe on Harry's face and happily said it seated a hundred thousand!**

"And gets sold out every year," Remus added on, all of them also grinning at the look now back on Harry's face.

**They made their way to one of the entrances where a cheerful woman inspected their tickets and informed them they were in prime seats.**

"Top Box!" Sirius all but screamed in remembered excitement!

**To get to the Top Box, she informed Arthur all he had to do was climb as high as they could go through the stairwell.**

Remus once again couldn't help but think 'did everyone in the world know Arthur' but he was too busy laughing that James was half yelling as he read with overflowing enjoyment so he didn't bother.

**They hit the stairs, watching as people slowly trickled out around them to their seats, until finally they found their place where only twenty chairs were available. The view was spectacular, perfectly positioned between the two goal posts. The field below was of the brightest green, the stands looked more like dots from this position, and directly across from them was a backboard where advertisements were currently being scrawled across.**

Harry's eyes kept getting wider the more he remembered that place, thinking it nearly put the Hogwart's Quidditch field to shame with its massiveness, something he never would have believed possible before this moment.

James and Sirius, having only attended one themselves previously, were flashing grins at each other in remember exuberance of how that match had gone, having always wanted to take their kids one day, and getting to hear this play out through Harry now the closest they'd yet got to that dream, so this was practically wish fulfillment to them!

Remus and Lily had never gone to one, and the immense size and splendor of this spectacle was actually starting to blow their mind.

**Harry only watched a few before he began inspecting his own area more closely, as he and his group filled in the first row. Almost directly behind him, he instead spotted a tiny little creature.**

Harry did a double take at that, his mind caught off guard by the sudden unexpected visit he thought he was getting from, "Dobby?"

"What?" The others squawked in surprise.

Harry was frowning in puzzled confusion, placing his hand to his temple in agitation as the moment left him, and he was left floundering to explain. "I, I'm not sure. Just, looking around, thought I spotted him." He was still grimacing, so James decided to keep reading to clarify an answer.

**Its face was buried in its hands, but it still had large bat like ears and was wearing a tea towel for clothes, all giving Harry a strong remembrance of Dobby.**

The fact that Harry thought this twice didn't necessarily mean he was right, he would have thought the same thing twice in a row with his memories being replenished in the style they were. It would definitely be something that needed to be explained if it was Dobby, since they hadn't heard of the little guy for over a year now, in Harry's time.

**It glanced up at the name, and the image was ruined as Harry instead found large brown eyes and a squashed button nose.**

"Not Dobby then," Sirius stated.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Remus snorted.

"You're welcome, Lieutenant Canis,*" Sirius shot back.

**That wasn't Dobby, but it was a house-elf like Dobby had been.**

"Had been?" Lily giggled. "You mean is, or was in that instance."

Harry rolled his eyes, he wasn't the one who'd written this down.

**Dobby used to be enslaved to the Malfoy family before Harry had tricked them into releasing him. The little one in front of him now squeaked Dobby's name in surprise in an even higher pitch then Dobby's tone, and though it was hard to tell, Harry hazard a guess this one was female. Ron and Hermione looked around in surprise as well, never having met Dobby themselves, but having heard of him through Harry.**

"Huh, never realized that before," James muttered randomly, completely unconcerned now that it wasn't Dobby and wanting to get back to the Cup!

**Even Mr. Weasley looked around in interest.**

"Did you tell him about Dobby?" Remus asked in surprise.

"Not directly," Harry shrugged, "but maybe Ron did, or the voice just got him curious. It did stick out."

**Harry apologized for the confusion, but the elf squeaked back that she knew of Dobby.**

Lily started humming 'It's a Small World After All' under her breath in surprise, but since this was one of the least strangest or coincidental things that had happened to Harry, she didn't mention it.

**She still had her face half buried in her fingers, looking anywhere but at the open space in front of them as she greeted that her name was Winky, then deduced that he was Harry Potter.**

"Brilliant deduction skills on this one," Sirius grumbled under his breath, not having appreciated one bit the last elf Harry had to deal with, hoping this one wouldn't have anything at all to do with his pup.

**When Harry agreed he was, Winky explained that Dobby spoke of Harry Potter all the time. Harry asked how he was doing, and Winky sighed in disappointment, saying freedom wasn't doing him any favors.**

"Has she ever met the Malfoy's," Remus demanded in disgust. "I think she should hold that to herself until otherwise."

**Harry asked if he was okay, and Winky explained that his newfound freedom was going to his head. He was looking for a new position, but no one would take him, because he wanted to be paid now.**

By the stunned look of the others, it didn't take much for Harry to ascertain, "so that's weird then."

"Absolutely," James nodded, his mind actually derailed, partially enough his tone wasn't as high pitched as Winky's from excitement at least. "Never heard of a thing like that."

"I think it's cute," Lily shrugged, a small frown still on her face at the thought of that elf. "I'd take him up on that offer in a heartbeat."

"Let's hope you're not the only one," Remus shrugged.

Harry glanced at Sirius, who he'd noticed had stayed absent, and couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. Sirius had made it perfectly clear he certainly wasn't fond of elves, what would he think of this? He said nothing though, and Harry was certain if he really cared he would have, so Harry didn't bring it up.

**Harry asked why shouldn't be he be paid? Winky explained that only a tainted elf would want such a thing, elves took pride in their work and Dobby was shaming their kind by going round like this! If he kept up like he was, he'd wind up in front of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical creatures.**

"That would be a first I'm sure," Remus muttered.

**Harry was frowning now as he said he was glad to hear Dobby was trying to have some fun, but Winky said back stoutly that house-elves weren't meant to have fun.**

Sirius watched Harry and Lily start to look rather confused and upset by this, so he groused, "This one's starting to depress me as much as the last one, can't she just let it go?" with an eye roll. Personally, he didn't hate Dobby as much as he initially had, not after he'd at least tried to save Harry, been abused by the Malfoy's for years, and Harry now considered him a friend. He still wasn't sure what Harry and Lily's big fuss about them were though. This little Winky was acting the way any other elf would.

**They do what they're told and that's that. She then explained that though she was terrified of heights, her master had told her to come save his seat, and that's what she was doing.**

"Ooh, that's terrible," Lily half cooed, half looked like she was going to start scolding any second. "That wizard couldn't have sent up anyone else, their friend or anything, instead of the elf he knows is afraid of heights."

"He might not know," James offered, "not to many wizards bother to get to know the likes and dislikes of their elves."

"And I doubt she'd inform him" Sirius nodded in agreement.

"It's odd enough to bring your elf to this type of thing," Remus shrugged, looking to break up Lily's agitated face that James hardly sounded more concerned about this then Sirius. "So I'm sure there was some reason." 'Hope the Malfoy's didn't get another one' he privately added in his head, thinking that wouldn't go down well with anyone.

He then looked to James to keep going, which he happily did, thinking they were getting way too worked up over an elf.

**Harry was frowning in sorrow now as he asked why her master would do that if he knew she was afraid of heights? Winky explained again that she'd been asked to save a seat, as her master was too busy to come just yet, gesturing slightly to the empty chair beside her.**

Harry felt like a tap dancer was running up his spine all of a sudden. Something, there was something right there...his body gave a great shudder of protest at his prolonging on trying to think on this for even a second, and he let lose a great gasp of surprise before he sagged back into the couch and glared balefully around the room in agitation, muttering the usual 'sorry, memories, nothing.'

The other's did not look happy, in fact they were getting pretty concerned at how often Harry was doing that even before he went to school this time, but what could they do?

**Winky didn't want to be up here, but she was doing as she was told like a good elf. She gave one last terrified whimper at the edge of their box, then buried her face in her hands again. Harry turned back to talk to his friends, Ron asking if all house-elves acted like that?**

Sirius suddenly gasped, and looked likely to fall off the couch, causing the others to jump in concern as he turned a stunned look to Harry and demanded, "I've just realized, you haven't been to the kitchens yet!"

"Err no," Harry said uneasily, still rather concerned by his overreaction.

As were the others apparently as James swatted at him and snapped, "you almost gave me a heart attack! Of course he hasn't you dolt, we would have heard about that."

"But, he's entering his fourth year," Sirius added on, looking from James to Remus and back like they were missing the biggest of pictures. "We could have walked down there blindfolded by then!"

"I'm going to strangle you," Lily told him pleasantly, "and Merlin help me I never thought I'd say this, but James get back to your game before I do."

Sirius was still eyeing Harry like he was truly concerned for his wellbeing at this slip, but James was happy to oblige.

**Harry just shrugged back and said that Dobby had been weirder. Ron had lost interest already, and was instead using his omnioculars to people watch the crowd below, exclaiming in excitement when he used his rewind feature to make a man below pick his nose over and over again.**

Shattering all the annoyed looks at Sirius for them to begin, snickering at Ron. Sirius gave a slight pout, that's what he'd been trying to do, clearly they were being overly sensitive. Though upon reflection, after the past few days they'd had, he supposed it had been just a tad uncalled for.

**Hermione was looking through her program, telling how both teams had brought a mascot that would do a small show before the game.**

"The Irish always bring leprechauns," Remus quickly told Harry before he could ask.

"Bit of a bore really," Sirius nodded, "you'd think they'd try to break their stereotype."

"I do wonder what the Bulgarians will bring," Lily admitted.

**Mr. Weasley had heard and quickly said that's always a fun show, both teams trying to one up each other with something native to their land.**

**As time kept passing, more people came into their box, and Arthur got up to shake the hand of several very important wizards.**

"I really don't think Ron can call his dad's job boring anymore," James muttered, finding Arthur's presence more and more charming as this continued.

**Percy kept hopping out of his seat so often he looked like he was trying to sit on a porcupine.**

Causing all five of them to start snickering, that wasn't too hard to picture, especially as they could see the twins doing this to him on purpose.

**When Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself arrived, Percy bowed so low that his glasses fell off and shattered.**

"Why's he bowing at them anyways," Lily giggled. "They're not the monarchy."**

"Trying to show off?" Remus offered with a shrug.

**Looking thoroughly embarrassed with himself, he fixed his glasses and quickly retook his seat, throwing jealous looks at Harry who Fudge greeted like his best friend.**

"You become the stupid Boy Who Lived," Harry grumbled, "then he'll butter up to you just fine."

**They had met before, and Fudge shook Harry's hand in a fatherly fashion,**

James could not get that out without a hard bite to his words, it sounding all the more harsh sense his recent spike of this same feeling towards his own best friend. He didn't need some stranger acting that part as well.

**asking how his summer had been, then introducing him to the Bulgarian minister in too loud tones.**

"I never understood that," Remus snorted. "Talking loudly does not make them understand you any better."

"Don't ask us," Lily shrugged.

**Fudge was trying to get through a language barrier, repeating his full name several times, but it wasn't until the Bulgarian caught sight of Harry's scar that he began babbling in excitement.**

Harry was the only one who let out a surprised bit of laughter at that, with a rather hard edge, finding it funny his scar did a better job than the Minister. He did ponder on why he was being so harsh towards the man who hadn't really done anything to him?

**Fudge sighed as he said to them that he'd been having to deal with that all day. He really needed Crouch around.**

"Is he the only linguistic in the whole ministry?" Sirius snorted.

"I would have thought at least the Minister would bother to learn some for this upcoming game," Remus nodded in agreement, as he would have known he'd be meeting at least a few foreign dignitaries.

**Then he noticed his house-elf was saving a seat.**

"That's Crouch's elf," Lily grumbled, this not making her feel any better.

"Guess I'm not surprised," Remus shrugged, "his is as old a house as any."

**Then he spotted the newcomers, Lucius**

James spat out that last word in shock, which quickly turned into a haughty glare. Of course those Malfoy's would have to get the Top Box as well, Harry couldn't go five minutes without having to deal with their pompous arse! He would probably turn all sorts of jealous when he found out the Weasley's were up there with them, and they'd gotten in for free, because Arthur had done a good deed! Teach them a lesson!

There was a bit of grumbling all around from the others, but as all they could do was protest, James slogged on. He wanted to get to the game already, and hopefully ignore the existence of those particular purebloods.

**his son Draco, and who must be the wife and mother.**

Harry felt a flash of something he didn't quite understand as he first remembered this woman, was that warmth? Not quite as much as he'd felt about learning of Mrs. Weasley, but there was definitely something there... it was gone the moment he caught sight of his godfather.

Sirius' face gave a particularly ugly sneer at the mention of one of his _relatives,_ having never liked Narcissa anymore than her sister Bellatrix. Both had their noses so high in the air it was a wonder they didn't drown in the rain.

**She looked very much like Draco, the same platinum blonde hair, and a crinkled up nose suggesting she smelled dung close by.**

"I'm sure it's the presence she's forced to live with, herself," Sirius muttered.

**Mr. Malfoy greeted the Minister with a familiar handshake, and Fudge was delighted to meet Lucius' family, giving his wife Narcissa a delightful compliment and greeting Draco just as happily. Then Fudge introduced them to the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, whom he couldn't pronounce the name of, then moved on to say he knew they must know the Weasley's.**

"Like he knows the bottom of his shoe," Remus grumbled, then he remembered the last time those two had met, and he cracked up laughing at the expense of Malfoy senior again. He quickly filled in the others, at least giving James back a smile as he continued.

**It was not a pleasant reunion, as the last time Arthur and Lucius had been in the same room, Arthur had hit him in the face with a book during their fight.**

"Which Arthur won, with brilliant irony," Sirius cackled.

**Mr. Malfoy's eyes were cold as ice chips as he asked in the worst of slights how he'd managed to get up here, surely he hadn't sold his house, it would never collect this much money.**

Harry ground his teeth together hard in frustration, knowing he couldn't have said anything at the time, but always the most agitated when people made dig's at the Weasley's like that!

**Fudge, who wasn't listening,**

"Pity that," Lily snapped, "as he was showing his real face right then!"

**happily explained to all who were listening that Lucius was up here as his personal guest, as he'd just made a large donation to St. Mungo's.**

Remus mimed retching off the side of the couch in revulsion, something they all heartily agreed with. At least it was a good cause, if for the wrong reasons.

**Mr. Weasley managed to get out how nice that was of him with a strained smile.**

"Sad he can't mean it," James sighed.

**Lucius' eyes then landed on Hermione, who flushed at the attention, but glared back defiantly.**

"That'a girl," Lily nodded with a proud smile.

**Harry knew why Mr. Malfoy would look down on her like that, as Hermione was muggle-born, something that Malfoy as a pureblood**

"Pure of a conscience," Sirius muttered.

**found a second rate person at best.**

"She won't be so second-class when she knocks your son's lights out again," Remus happily smirked.

**With the Minister of Magic watching though, no one could say much more as the Malfoy's took their seats. Thankfully Bagman chose that moment to arrive, asking if they were ready to get this show on the road? Fudge agreed they were waiting on him.**

James was just thanking his lucky stars this chapter hadn't tried to end right here! All this buildup, and he would have had to try and convince Harry to give up the chapter next!

**Bagman pulled out his wand, used the Sonorus spell, which made his voice magnify loud enough every corner of the stadium could hear him announce the start of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!**

James was pretty close to sounding like he had the same charm placed on him, making the baby wriggle uncomfortably in Sirius' lap, but then he cooed gently to his godson, which seemed to convince the baby it was all in good fun as he relaxed back into his arms.

**The board across from them wiped itself clean one more time, and then sported the score, which currently read at 0 0. Then Bagman began to introduce the Bulgarian mascots, Veela.**

"Uhoh," Remus said in a happy little singsong voice.

"That wasn't their brightest idea," Sirius snickered.

"But a plentiful distraction," James cackled with glee.

"What are Veela?" Harry inserted, a puzzled frown on his face, that old agitation never waning where the answer should have been.

Lily chose to explain, "they're human like girls, with a very beautiful exterior used to draw in men, sort of like land sirens. They're not quite so much to look at when they get angry though," she finished with an odd smile.

Harry was still very curious indeed, wondering at that 'human like' part. Were they like Remus, human but with a touch of something else, or like centaurs, a touch of human but mostly something else? He decided to wait it out and see for himself.

**Harry began to ask what Veela were, but then he was given the answer by a group of beautiful women dancing onto the field.**

Causing all four of them to crack up laughing at Harry's expense, who was now doing his best to detail every inch of the carpet, still unable to hide his bright red face.

**They couldn't be fully human though, there was something to graceful about their feet, a little too much perfection in their almost glowing perfect skin, the white hair that fanned behind them without help. Then music began, and Harry hadn't a worry in the world.**

"Ah magic," Sirius said with a dreamy look in place.

"He'll do that every time these are mentioned," James snorted, "apparently he met one once when he got dragged on holiday, and it was the best night of his life."

"You're just jealous," Sirius' gray eyes were gleaming as he flashed his teeth in a wide grin at both of his friends.

"Actually, we just don't believe you," Remus shot back.

Sirius looked very much like he was going to argue, but James had already heard this so much he could have quoted both parties, so he kept going loudly over the two.

**The longer they danced, the more Harry could not seem to look away, nor did he want to, as he knew that if they ever stopped the world would end.**

Lily was now uncontrollably giggling, her fist pressed hard to her mouth as she easily pictured that expression on her poor unwitting son, though he in no way resembled that now. He most certainly remembered that feeling, but was not experiencing it, instead he had switched his attention and was now mentally memorizing the ceiling.

**The more elaborate the routine below, Harry began to think that he should do something equally impressive right back.**

"This out to be fun," Remus' grin broadened as he finished matching Sirius' glare and instead tried to poke some fun at Harry, who was still trying to mime a statue of complete disinterest, but mostly failing.

**He considered jumping from the box, but would it be good enough?**

"Most impressive," James snorted, "as you would break your neck in a spectacular way." He was now more than happy Harry was in a magical box that would not allow that to happen.

**Hermione's voice shot through his fog of a brain as she asked what on earth he was doing, standing on the edge like that? Ron was in a similar pose like he was about to jump off a diving board.**

Some of the blood rush to his face dulled back down slightly as he realized at least he hadn't been the only one, Ron had clearly been affected by that as well, though this didn't lessen the laughter in the room one jot.

**The Veela's were done now anyways, and several angry roars rose from the crowd as they went to take their seats, which Harry of course agreed with, now wondering why he had a shamrock on his shirt. He was of course on Bulgaria's side. Ron, in a similar mind set, was now tearing apart his shamrock hat.**

"That's one way to win over a crowd," Remus nodded in agreement.

"Wonder how many of the Irish fell for it," Lily asked, "or do you think they all collectively bought earplugs for this occasion?"

**Mr. Weasley took it away before he could do any permanent damage, reminding to let the Irish have their say. Ron clearly wasn't listening, as Hermione tutted at their side.**

"Ah don't be too harsh on them," James still managed to keep a happy smirk in place at his own son's expense even as he defended, "most males, and probably some females in the crowd, can't help it."

"Ah magic," Sirius repeated, finally stopping his insistent glare at Remus and instead adopting the expression from earlier, only causing Remus to laugh harder.

**Bagman took control again by announcing it was now time for the Irish mascots! At once two green comets came shooting out of nowhere, and collided, causing a rainbow to appear in the sky. Then the comets split apart again, and began circling the entire of the field, little bits of gold raining below them. Mr. Weasley happily exclaimed that they were leprechauns, while people below were scrambling under their seats to collect the Galleons.**

"Those should come with warning labels," James snorted, "will disappear, do not pretend otherwise."

"That would ruin the fun," Sirius snickered.

**Ron collected his own wealth when they passed over head, shoving a stack full into Harry's hands and telling him that was payback for the Omnioculars, now Harry had to buy him Christmas!**

"Uhoh," Remus said in a singsong voice, "looks like Ron hasn't learned that lesson yet."

"Hopefully his dad overhears and tells," Lily shrugged, "or Hermione will tell him, or Merlin Harry will laugh it off when he realizes later."

"Least he's keeping his priorities in line," Sirius snorted.

**Once the leprechauns had settled down as well, Bagman began announcing the players of Bulgaria, including; Ivanova, Zograf, Levski, Vulchanov, Volkov, and Krum! Ron began yelling repeatedly that was him, that was the Viktor Krum!**

"Thank you Ron," Lily murmured under her breath, "I thought Bagman meant the other Krum."

**Once the roar of approval from half of the field died down, Bagman gave the same treatment to the Irish, introducing; Connolly, Ryan, Troy, Mullet, Moran, Quigley, and Lynch! Harry gave a quick zoom in on them, and saw they were all sporting Firebolt's just like Harry's.**

Sirius gave a happy little wriggle all over again at that news, remembering all over again Harry had received his own, Merlin his godson could probably go out on that field right now and rival those two professionals!

**Lastly he announced the referee of the game, an impartial Chair Wizard from Egypt through the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa. Harry spotted the man through his bald head, but a mustache much like Uncle Vernon's.**

James was in such a good mood he didn't even care that Harry had mentally brought up those useless slugs!

**He carried a silver whistle on a chain around his neck, which he held in one hand as he placed a box down in the center of the field. He kicked it open, and the two bludgers and snitch were released, while Mostafa rose into the air with the Quaffle in hand. Harry only saw the flash of gold from the snitch for the briefest second,**

James and Sirius let out surprised whistles, it was a miracle for anyone to catch a glimpse of that thing at the professional level!

**then he gave a sharp whistle blast, tossed the Quaffle in the air, and the game began.**

"Finally!" All four boys cheered, thinking it was high time they get this part going!

**Bagman only had a second to announce each player's name as the Quaffle was passed with such intense speed between the six Chasers.**

"Someone needs to take some commentary tips from Jordan," Lily muttered, finding that boy much more fun to listen to then prattling off names.

**This was like no other Quidditch game Harry had ever seen before, and he wasn't missing a second as he pressed his Omnioculars so hard to his glasses they were digging into his nose.**

"Worth it," Harry breathed, his eyes getting wider every second as memory's washed back over him, the speed and skill of these players making him almost breathless.

**He'd never seen such skill on a broom, and Harry chose to slow the action down with his magical binoculars, as the Irish formed together a defense, Harry pressed the play by play option on his Omnioculars which helpfully flashed the message 'Hawkshead Attacking Formation' across his screen. That quickly changed to 'Porskoff Ploy' when Troy made as if to throw the Quaffle, but instead ducked underneath the oncoming Bulgarin Beater.**

James could not have sounded any more excited for what he was reading if he tried! The pure bliss of listening to a Quidditch game, the awe on his son's face instead of a painful memory bothering him, it was all he'd been wanting from these books!

**The ball passed a few more times, ending with Levski possessing the Quaffle, but then the crowd gave a mighty roar, and Bagman was cheering how Troy ha scored! 10-0 Ireland! Harry yelped in confusion that Levski still had the Quaffle, looking wildly around for the action!**

"You're still watching in slow motion," Remus reminded, none of them taking but a moment to catch up and make the connection.

Harry gave a muttered sorry, but James just snorted and waved him off, he wasn't particularly rooting for either side, just getting to read this one truly good thing and watching Harry enjoy it! He and his two friends still gave a hearty cheer in delight for the score, actually hoping Harry would keep it on slow down. Sure it left him a beat behind, but they adored the extra detail.

**Hermione reminded from beside him that if he wasn't going to watch at normal speed, he'd be behind. Down on the field, the Veela were pouting while the leprechauns rose in the air and began laughing in delight. Furious with himself,**

"After what Ron did with his slow capture," Sirius snorted, "I think we'll let you off the hook."

**Harry spun it back to normal time and again listened and watched as the name game continued shooting from Bagman, results only fifteen minutes later saying 30-0 Ireland.**

Lily had not thought it possible, but her husband's voice continued to rise in volume and ecstasy the longer he kept going, the thrill of the game ensuing him with as much energy as if he were out there playing himself.

**The Irish crowd were going wild, but the Bulgarians wouldn't let it last long. Finally Ivanova got a goal in, and Arthur advised all of his boys to stuff their fingers in their ears real quick,**

Causing all five of them to give another giggle, almost happy the Irish were so clearly winning, as clearly the Bulgarians doing the same would result in a deaf watch.

**as the veela started to dance in celebration. Harry screwed up his eyes too;**

"Now what good is that going to do you?" Remus snickered. "You'll miss when they stop."

"Better to short time it and keep my head on," Harry shrugged.

**but peaked after a second to see the game was resuming. Bagman kept going with the name commentary, but cut himself off in exclamation. Every set of eyes in the stadium began shrieking in delight as Krum and Lynch pelted down, and Harry followed their progress with squinting eyes as he searched himself for what both players must be after, the Snitch. Hermione began screeching in fright that they were going to crash, but she was only half right. Krum pulled out of the dive in the last second, but Lynch plowed into the ground causing groans from the rest of the stadium.**

"Oooh," all five of them winced in sympathy for that landing, Lily with a particularly hard wince as she couldn't help picturing that happening to her baby one of these games.

**Mr. Weasley tried to call a foul, that Krum had been fainting, but Bagman only called it as a time-out as the mediwizards on hand went out to check on Lynch. Ginny was looking horror stricken as she leaned over the box, but Charlie quickly reassured he would be fine, that was just part of Krum's plan.**

"Oh that's brilliant," James chirped, his eyes lighting with understanding.

"He'd make a nice Slytherin," Sirius snorted, finding that a pretty sneaky way of winning.

Harry felt a quiet laugh under his breath, somewhere deep inside him he knew Ginny didn't need anything about Quidditch explained.

**Harry rewound the footage and hit play-by-play again, the screen flashing 'Wronski Defensive Feint; Dangerous Seeker Diversion'**

"I love how even that warns you it's dangerous," Lily said with an obvious look at Harry, who was trying his best to ignore that look and wipe the eager smile off his face.

**as Harry eyed Krum's look of intense concentration while he pulled out. Harry had never seen anything like him, Krum seemed more like he was flying without support he maneuvered so well.**

"Best feeling in the world," all three Quidditch players murmured with smirks.

**Harry flipped his screen back to normal and was now watching Krum in real time circling above, his eyes narrowed with concentration as he used this unimpeded time to look for the Snitch.**

They may have already come to this conclusion, but while Lily and Remus could take a step back and gave appreciate snickers at such a clever diversion, the other three still found it too much like what Malfoy would do to be too impressed.

**Not too much time later though, Lynch got back to his feet with praise from his side of the crowd, and mounted his Firebolt again for the game to resume. Only fifteen minutes later, and the Irish Chasers had pulled even farther ahead with the score now being 130-10.**

"Wow, they really are superb," Sirius yelped.

"But Krum's clearly the better Seeker," Remus countered.

"I think the twins were dead on with their bet," James nodded in agreement. "It all boils down to if the Irish can pull ahead enough that Krum's capture won't mean anything."

"Lynch could still pull it off," Sirius countered with a calculating look, trying to take what little knowledge he had of the player and say, "one knock out doesn't mean he's done for."

Lily cleared her throat loudly when both Remus and Harry looked likely to jump in, then mutely pointed to the book with an obvious look. James mumbled a bit but agreed.

**Bulgaria wasn't taking this lightly, now resorting in much dirtier methods to keep the Quaffle on their side, until finally Mostafa called a foul for excessive use of elbows, cobbing.**

"What a little gnat," Sirius managed to get out, still half jittering in place from his own pent up excitement at hearing all of this. He was actually starting to regret giving this chapter up to James, Merlin this was a good time!

**The leprechauns responded to that by floating into the air and forming the word's 'HA HA HA' to mock the Veela, who tossed their hair angrily but began dancing in excitement for their team none the less. As one, the Weasley boys and Harry stuffed their fingers into their ears,**

Lily's giggling still managed to intensify at that mental image.

**but Hermione, who hadn't bothered, was quickly tugging Harry's arm to get his attention, and giggling as she told him to look at the referee.**

"Uh-oh," Remus chuckled, not looking particularly upset.

"Am I getting the feeling this is why they were brought along," James snickered, "for some preference from the ref."

"Intentionally or not, they're getting it now," Sirius nodded.

**Harry looked down and saw that Mustafa had happened to land right in front of the Veela as they started their dance, and was now behaving strangely by flexing himself and smoothing out his mustache. Bagman sounded quite amused as he scolded they couldn't let that go on.**

"He cannot be the only one," Lily nodded, her husband sounded exactly the same way.

**Then he told that someone should go slap the referee.**

"Now how come whenever I say that, I get told off for being unsportsman?" Sirius pouted, his eyes shining with too much giddy pleasure to really mean it.

**A mediwizard was given the job, sprinting across the field with his fingers in his ears, as he kicked Mostafa in the shin.**

Causing all five of them to begin laughing all over again, this was a brilliant game in every direction!

**Mostafa came back to himself, and began shouting at the Veela. Bagman seemed to understand, as he told the crowd that he seemed to be threatening to take the mascots off the field.**

"Ooh, Harry would actually get to be at a first," James practically began shaking with a whole new level of excitement.

**The two Bulgarian Beaters seemed to take that personally, as they landed on the ground and began arguing with the referee, who was now pointing at the air and very clearly telling them to get back to the game. The leprechauns were having plenty of fun with this, now forming the words 'HEE HEE HEE.'**

"There's a difference between mocking and distracting," Remus snorted.

"I don't see why it's worth arguing the point with him," James raised a brow in surprise. "If they tick him off enough, they'll just earn another foul."

**When the argument continued, Mostafa lost his patience, and blew the whistle twice, earning Ireland two more penalties, while the Bulgarians boo'ed their displeasure.**

James looked incredibly pleased with himself, while his friends laughed at the old familiar expression he'd always get when he called a play right.

**The two Beaters took the hint and went back to the air, where the game was still steadily getting bloodier. Volkov and Vulchanov, the Bulgarian Beaters, no longer seemed to care if their clubs hit Bludger or person.**

"This is turning as bloody as your Cup," Lily frowned with worry, each new game she kept hearing about only increasing her feeling she'd rather her son not take this up professionally.

"Hope they got a foul for every one of those," Sirius simply smirked.

**When the Bulgarians yet again played another foul, the leprechauns chose a new tactic of turning themselves into a giant hand with only one finger up at the Veela.**

"Oh now that can't be allowed," Lily raised a brow in surprise, "there are children present."

"Kids, do not mimic what that leprechaun just did. There, problem solved," James' shoulders were shaking he was still laughing and cheering so much that his shot back to Lily didn't hold much.

**The Veela completely lost it, as fire seemed to sprout from their hands and they seemed to grow leathery wings from their back as they began fighting back with the leprechauns in a much more violent way. Harry no longer found them remotely beautiful, as they now resembled birds more than women.**

Harry was spluttering in shock that those creatures of fantasy could turn into that! He most definitely understood what his mother meant now!

The others didn't look particularly concerned, on the contrary as Sirius eagerly said, "well, Harry did get a first it seems. As far as I know, the two team mascots have never started brawling before!"

"This is the best day ever," James nodded fervently.

**Mr. Weasley happily endowed on his children the life lesson that this was why you never chose for looks.**

"Valuable life lesson," Sirius agreed with a wicked grin, "though thankfully I have that and brains."

Lily chucked a pillow at him for that.

**Above this, the game was still in full swing, Moran scoring for the Irish yet again. The Irish didn't get as much of a chance as usual to make their cheers heard, as the Ministry was pelting onto the field with wands out to try and get the two mascots under control.**

James reading was coming out so breathy from trying to contain all of his laughter and excitement, his reading was nearly as chaotic as the scene he was describing.

**Gameplay kept going, with Levski, then Dimitrov with the Quaffle, but then Quigley (Irish Beater) hit a bludger towards Krum, who hadn't a chance to duck and got a face full.**

"Youch," Remus yelped in surprise, thinking that at least now he and Lynch were on even grounds having both been clobbered in the face this game.

**The crowd gave a collective groan in pity, Krum's nose was clearly broken from any distance, but the whistle didn't ring.**

"Was he going after the Snitch," Sirius asked curiously, his attention torn between the two so much it actually was getting hard to keep track. "It didn't say."

"Not directly," Harry shook his head, "so it was a foul."

**Mostafa was still distracted by his broomtail being lit with fire from a stray Veela throw.**

"That'll do it, yeah," Lily nodded, her eyes steadily going wider in wonder at this mess of a game that all of the boys were endlessly enjoying.

**Harry may have been supporting Irish, but he wished someone would notice Krum's plight, he was by far the most fascinating player to watch. Bagman was loudly calling for a time-out as well, and still being ignored, but then Harry suddenly shouted loudest of all to look at Lynch! He was rocketing towards the ground again, and that was no Wronski Feint. Half the crowd was following the same progress, watching as Krum quickly caught up. Harry wondered how he could even see with blood flying across his face,**

"Well it seems to have just broken his nose, not his entire skull," Remus said fairly.

"Thank you Professor," Sirius snorted, they'd worked that out for themselves.

Remus flushed in surprise, that old joke not holding nearly the same weight it used to, but Sirius and James were so entangled in their match they hardly seemed to notice what they were saying anymore.

**but he seemed to easily draw level with Lynch as Hermione screamed that they were going to crash again! Ron shot back that no they weren't while Harry guessed that Lynch was, and this time Harry was right. Lynch once again got a face full of grass, and was quickly set upon by the Veela.**

"Gah!" Lily yelped this time, actually fearing for that poor Seekers safety under that horde.

**Charlie was still looking around wildly, calling for where the Snitch had got to, who'd caught it?!**

"Because that was the important part," Lily grumbled, her mind still on poor Lynch.

**Harry found it first, clutched safely in Krum's hand! His face still as red as his robes from his nose bleed, Krum was soaring through the air, his hand held high and proud in a fist, the tiny flutter of wings barely visible.**

"That was bloody brilliant!" James cheered, throwing the book in the air in celebration and bouncing in his spot like it was a trampoline.

Sirius was to busy laughing, holding tight to the baby and still likely to fall off the couch any second, though his expression was remarkably similar.

The other three were only the slightest bit calmer, all laughing with pleasure at the event, though mostly laughing at the other two boys raucous reactions to it all. James seemed to take forever to settle back down and read out the rest, not that he was trying to hard. He would never have believed two days ago he could ever find such a good mood again, and he was terrified the moment he kept going something would come to spoil it. He wanted to hear of nothing else for the rest of these books, and yet he knew full well that wasn't going to happen. It still didn't manage to diminish his smile one bit, so wide it nearly distorted his words as he kept going.

**The final score read 170-160 to Ireland, but the majority of the crowd was still lost in confusion, having been watching the spectacle of the two creatures. Slowly though, sound like an engine revving swelled to every corner as the delighted screams of the Irish came through.**

"They did it, the twins did it, they won!" Remus laughed, falling back against the couch with his own shot of laughter at that realization.

"Oh, that's going to be so good for them," Lily nodded in absolute agreement, now their mother would have to give them a chance.

"This game could not have been any better in any way, shape, or form," Sirius nodded with absolute certainty.

**Bagman was shouting the results for all to hear, that Ireland had won, but Krum had got the snitch!**

Harry was laughing hardest of all at Bagman shouting out those exact results, he was so happy for the twins, so happy that his family was enjoying this moment of bliss, like the others hoping this wouldn't end.

**Adding on that no one could have seen that coming!**

"Well two of them did," James murmured happily, wiping a few watery tears of glee away.

**Ron, who was jumping around in pleasure and applauding like mad, still had the sense to ask what Krum had gone and done that for, he knew they were too far behind to have won.**

"That's right Ron," Sirius nodded along like a bobble head, "you keep applauding that idiot who recognized defeat with pride."

**Harry happily shouted back that Krum had ended the game on his terms, he'd known the Irish Chasers were too good.**

"I'm so proud you get it," James added on, tossing an easy arm around his son's shoulders and managing to keep going like that, Harry still snickering along at his side.

**Hermione agreed he'd been quite brave,**

"Brave is certainly better than grumpy," Lily agreed, her shoulders shaking from her own overdone laughter.

**watching Krum's progress as he landed and some mediwizards came to inspect him, having to fight through the still raging battle of Veela vs. Leprechauns.**

"So glad that's still not being ignored," Remus managed to stutter out half way intelligibly.

**Behind Harry, Fudge and the Bulgarian Minister were shaking hands, then to all of their surprise the man said with a thick accent that his team had fought bravely.**

Causing five collective snorts of laughter from the room. Oh yes, clearly this Minister didn't understand a lick of what Fudge had been saying! Which made all previous interactions near gold.

**Fudge spluttered in outrage that he could speak English, but had been letting him pantomime everything all day! The Bulgarian just shrugged back, saying it had been funny to watch.**

"Can we have him as our minister?" Sirius begged the book, turning huge puppy eyes onto anyone who would say yes. "He's clearly got a sense of humor!"

"I wish," Harry nodded in agreement.

**Bagman was still announcing for the crowd that the Irish were coming up to the Top Box to greet their respective Ministers.**

James squealed like, well like a Quidditch fan who'd just found out he was meeting the winners of a Quidditch World Cup. They were going into the Top Box, within autograph distance of his son!?

**Harry's surroundings were suddenly rendered visible to all below them as every eye zeroed in on the Green clad team shaking hands with Fudge, who still looked rather put out he'd been using sign language all day for nothing.**

"Ah learn to laugh man," Remus was doing it enough for both of them as he got that out.

**Then Bagman said to give a big round of applause for Bulgaria, as that team entered as well.**

James was squirming so much it was hard to keep reading the print, he had to remove his arm from Harry to hold the book better, and even then he sounded deliriously happy.

**The crowd below was applauding appreciatively; Harry could see thousands and thousands of Omniocular lenses flashing and winking in their direction.**

Harry winced, but for once felt no true feelings of embarrassment, as surely he was not the main focus this time.

**Harry got his first face close impression of Krum, who had two black eyes, and was still clutching the Snitch.**

"That's his keepsake," Sirius tried to whisper into Harry's ear so as not to get James to stop, but only just barely getting back to his normal tone from all the shouting, so Harry was instead left rubbing at his ear again.

**Harry noticed that on the ground he didn't look nearly as nimble, more duck-footed and round-shouldered.**

"Who cares," the other three boys said at once.

**He and Lynch shook hands, Lynch's eyes strangely unfocused as if he was still getting over that last knockout.**

"I can imagine," Lily nodded, her eyes still slightly more round than normal for concern of this stranger for two head injuries in one game. And James had said the Seeker position wasn't that bad!

**He was still smiling happily though as he rode on the back of one of his fellow players broom while the Irish team did a lap of victory.**

"Well his team kind of won without him, so it's good he's not the focus," Remus snorted.

**Bagman finally used the 'Quietus' spell on his voice, it coming out raspier than usual but a pleased smile still on his face as he told them that people would be talking about this game for ages! Then he noticed the twins watching him expectantly, and he uneasily asked the boy's how much he owed their outstretched hands.**

Harry felt an odd clench up of his stomach, one that he managed to laugh off with the others in praise for the twin's sudden fortune. Surely that feeling was just backlash from all his happiness of the game.

* * *

The longest chapter yet of this book...and yet it was still kind of boring. Sorry about this, but as we all know, things really start picking up next chapter!

*Nickname offered up by Shakira94. The offer and suggestions of more nicknames is always open and appreciated, until I finish book seven in like seven years, and I promise I'm still working on the previous one's submitted, I just don't want them to be so piled in it seems forced, you know? So I'm only putting them in when I find a good opportunity.

**...British people bow to their monarchy, right? Sorry if they don't, I'll take it out if not...again sorry for the stupid American showing.


	9. THE DARK MARK

So very sorry guys, but I'm only going to be able to get out one chapter next week, on the Thursday/Friday side, as the Cursed Child is coming out on Sunday, and reading that will severely cut in on my writing time. Hoping my readers understand, as most likely all reading this will have their own copy to be reading at the same time...

* * *

"Here you go Padfoot," James finally handed over his prize, the widest most stupid smirk still happily planted on his face.

Sirius eyed it, before stretching leisurely and saying, "nah, I'm good, I think I like being skipped. It's technically Harry's turn, have at it pup."

Harry didn't argue the point as he flipped to his chapter, ignoring that stupid little bubble that was trying to burst his good mood and inform him that nothing would be pleasant for much longer now that the Cup had ended.

**Mr. Weasley was cautioning the twins not to go telling their mother they'd been gambling as they headed back to the stairwell.**

"Oh that's nice," Lily muttered, "encourage them to lie to their mother."

"It's not lying," Remus said at once.

Even not having heard what Lily had said, Sirius agreed with him at once, "it's just keeping information from those who don't need it, a rather kind endeavor really, you should be thanking us."

"I'm sure that was your motto at school," she snorted at him.

"No," James smirked, "it was 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.'"

Harry burst out laughing, even Lily couldn't stop a little smile as she shook her head at the lot of these boys.

**Fred promised that wouldn't be a problem, as they both had big plans for this gold and didn't want it being confiscated. Mr. Weasley hesitated for a moment, like he wanted to ask for details, but seemed to decide against it.**

"I want to know," Sirius pouted, still happily bouncing in place in hopes they were going full throttle with that joke shop idea.

**They were soon back in the crowds, heading back to the tents through the lantern path once again, leprechauns commonly cruising by above still happily laughing.**

"That's going to be happening the rest of the night," James snickered.

**They reached their tent and as no one was ready to settle down, they all got some cocoa ready, and were happily still arguing about the game.**

"What kind of arguments were these?" Sirius demanded at once.

Harry opened his mouth to start saying the many spiraling conversations that had been going on, but Lily quickly elbowed her way in saying, "not now boys. How many times do I have to tell you, we are not spending hours just sitting around talking about Quidditch, I want to hear this."

"But, Quidditch," James turned pleading eyes on his wife.

"And the World Cup at that," Sirius nodded fervently.

Lily didn't budge though, so Harry turned back to his chapter.

**It wasn't until Ginny fell asleep at the table did Arthur cut in it was time for them to get some sleep.**

"Well that's not fair," Remus smiled lightly, "making all of them go to bed just because one fell asleep."

"They might have to get up early again," Lily offered.

**As Hermione roused Ginny and they went to their own tent, they heard a small bang from the Irish side of the campsite, and Mr. Weasley happily said how he was pleased not to be on duty tonight, he didn't envy those who had the task of telling the Irish to settle down.**

"I can only picture the bravest of souls taking up the challenge," James said solemnly.

"And the beautiful responses said Ministry employees will receive," Sirius cackled.

**Harry lay in his bunk, watching the tent ceiling which occasionally still had a flash of color flying overhead. He was fantasizing about flying his own Firebolt when he got back to the Burrow, wanting to try out that Wronski Feint.**

Lily groaned, placing her face in her hands and cursing his Quidditch father, broom giving godfather, and whatever else felt the need to encourage her son to continue with that insane sport.

Remus gave her a light pat on the shoulder in comfort, trying his hardest not to burst out laughing at the boys on the couch who were all laughing lightly at what they felt was an overreaction from her.

**Harry was surprised Wood have never told him of this technique.**

"Well it is rather advanced," Sirius nodded sagely. "I can understand if he hadn't even shown it to you yet."

"With the broom and experience you've got though," James hadn't thought it was possible for his mood to keep soaring, but speaking of this was doing so! "I wouldn't be surprised if you pulled it off first try."

"You are literally encouraging our son to ram himself into the ground as hard as he can until he pulls that off," Lily got out, her face still buried in her fingers.

"Ah, it won't cause any permanent damage," Remus snickered, "James seems mostly intact after his many attempts."

"Mostly?" James demanded with a challenging brow but, still snickering lightly, Harry decided to keep going himself now.

**His daydream continued to morph, so that he was now performing that move in front of the stadium they'd just left, with Ludo Bagman calling out the name Potter to the cheering crowd.**

"So now you actually want the attention?" Remus laughed.

"It's for Quidditch," Sirius said like it was obvious. "If Harry goes on to remember he joined the professionals, I wouldn't be surprised one little bit. That's the kind of fame I'd never be worried about him getting."

"You're all fired from giving him advice," Lily said stoutly.

**Harry wasn't sure if his mind's eye changed to actual dreams,**

Harry was trying very hard now to force himself to relax. He'd gone to sleep after all, surely whatever was trying to creep up and ruin his mood wasn't going to happen...

**but the next thing he heard was Arthur shouting at the lot of them to get up, this was an emergency!**

The four who weren't reading felt terrible little twists inside of them, but at once tried to convince themselves they were being paranoid. They'd had an excellent run thus far, there was no way something to bad could be happening...

**Harry sat upright and was lucky not to hit something harder than canvas above him as he muttered what was going on? He could still hear in the background some banging noises, but somehow they felt different, and he could hear people screaming now.**

Lily began gnawing on her lip again at once, picturing all sorts of terrible things like a fire breaking out. In that kind of crowd it could cause a stampede and get someone hurt. Or worse the rival team and someone had started a riot, one drunk thing had gone too far, or...her mind kept offering up one worst thing after the other, and judging by the boy's faces, she wasn't the only one.

**Harry slipped out of his bed and began trying to find a change of clothes, but at Arthur's insistence there was no time, he simply bolted out of the tent after Ron, and ran into a nightmare.**

**There were several camp fires still burning, now lighting his surroundings with ghostly shadows, and loud noises like gunshots coming closer.**

"What on earth?" Remus muttered, his mind spinning to try and understand what Harry's half-awake mind couldn't process yet.

Harry couldn't answer, even if he wanted to. There was a hard knot of dread forming up inside of him, making it hard for him to concentrate on the words and keep going.

**There seemed to be a large ring of people, all looking up and laughing at something, then there was another flash of light, and Harry could see that there was something hovering in the air above the crowd...people. Directly below them was a condensed group all wearing masks.**

"Oh, oh no. Oh no, no, no, no," Lily was shaking her head so furiously to insist upon her brain she hadn't just heard the worst implication, that her hair was flying into her face and she didn't care.

"It doesn't _necessarily_ mean," Sirius tried, but even his voice failed him and he couldn't keep it going.

"What, what's going on?" Harry demanded, as clearly they understood something.

"It, they-" James tried furiously to get the words out, but he'd switched from cloud nine to the worst form of agitated fear so quickly, he was having trouble processing anything.

"They're called Death Eater's,"* Remus was the first to get out, new worry lines appearing around his suddenly dark eyes. "They're what Voldemort calls his followers. Horrid people who do whatever their _master_ commands-"

"Often while enjoying doing it," Sirius added on.

Harry was looking between all of them, now wishing more than anything they could just go back to talking of Quidditch. He'd sadly worked this out for himself, this wasn't the first time they'd mentioned Death Eaters, but only in passing. He'd worked out for himself what they must be referring to, but now he was getting a firsthand account of their work, and he did not appreciate it.

When the silenced dragged on though, Harry knew he may as well keep going, to get through this chapter and this terrible event and just hope nothing like it came up again. They may even be wrong after all, then again, how many groups of people wore masks and would be doing a thing like this?

**High above them, floating along in midair, four struggling figures were being contorted into grotesque shapes.**

Lily gasped, her hand coming up to cover her mouth to muffle a scream at who those people must be. Muggles, or Muggle born, being put on display, and- she realized she was shaking then, but not in fear as Remus throwing her a concerned look suggested, but in rage. In her last few years at school it had been made more clear than ever that her parentage made her stand out, and while there were those who couldn't care less, there were those who only cared about that. Those second groups were most likely the current Death Eaters, in her own time and in Harry's. She'd stepped in many a time to stop terrible fights breaking out, now she was having to listen to her son witness such a thing happening!

The other boys looked just as outraged at hearing this, and Lily was almost sad to see Harry was as well, because she'd have rather seen him confused. She wanted to shield him from that terrible knowledge that people would act this way towards each other, but then she realized she was feeling all the more proud for the reaction she was seeing. If she couldn't protect him from this, at least she was warmed that he knew how terrible this was, how much worse her son could have turned out if he'd been under the influence of someone like the Malfoy's.

Harry did not want to keep going one little bit, but as always he knew he may as well get the experience over with and just hope they turned out okay.

**It seemed the masked people below were holding their limbs in invisible magic, and two of the four were very small.**

"They've, got, children, up, there," Remus said slowly and dangerously, his hands curling into such tight fists the tendons were showing.

Harry wanted more than anything just to deny that one thing, but the words failed in his throat as he turned morosely back to the book.

**More wizards were joining the marching group, laughing and pointing up at the floating bodies.**

"How is that funny?" James seethed. "I, just, you don't-" his temper kept tampering off his words, leaving him a spluttering mess, while his face slowly grew more and more red from outrage.

**Tents were being smashed to pieces as the group grew closer, either blasted out of the way or being trampled by the ever growing cheering crowd. The ones that did remain standing were caught on fire, and the screaming kept growing louder.**

While Sirius deeply regretted forcing Harry to read this, and was fighting back the impulse to wrench the book away from him to prevent it continuing, he recognized he may not have been able to get these words out himself as his throat kept vibrating with repulsion, forever unable to kick away the mental image of his little brother, and now someone he'd once called a brother, joining in on this group.

**The people above were suddenly illuminated as they passed over a burning tent and Harry recognized one of them, Mr. Roberts.**

There were many times in the past where Harry actually regretted understanding why he'd felt a missing memory and did not appreciate having it returned, and this was definitely one of them. His feelings went beyond just pity for poor Mr. Roberts and his family, who had done nothing to deserve this treatment, but a righteous fury was quickly coming in as well, making him want to draw his wand, his body acting without his conscious mind telling him to go and help those people, you had the experience. He forced himself to shake that off though, blinking until the words below him came back into focus, and recognized that however he felt now, he could only deal with the then.

**The others were most likely his wife and two children, all were receiving the same vile treatment. Mrs. Roberts was suddenly hung upside down, unable to stop her dress falling with her, leaving her flashing the crowd below.**

Harry wasn't entirely sure he'd gotten through all of that and been completely understood, but he was sure they all got the gist of it by the murderous looks on their faces somehow increasing.

**Ron managed to spit out how sick that was as his eyes followed one of the children being spun on his head like a top.**

"Please be asleep, please let that poor thing be asleep," Lily murmured to herself, her nails digging into her own palm she was wringing her hands so hard.

**Hermione and Ginny came out of their tents then, and Mr. Weasley then instructed all of the underage kids to get into the forest, while Percy, Bill, and Charlie were already running towards the mass with their wands out.**

Each of them felt torn in half at that news. Of course they wanted Harry to get out of there, but they wanted Mr. Weasley to stay with him incase things somehow got worse, which seemed impossible at this point but as they'd all thought that before and it still somehow happened they weren't putting it past anymore. Then the other side, which was grateful relief that Arthur and his boys would blow those bloody Death Eater's sky high for what they were doing and make sure Mr. Robert's family was fine.

**Harry reluctantly turned away as Fred and George each took one of Ginny's hands, and Ron and his two friends quickly followed them into the path where most of the other bystanders were running. Harry took one last glance behind and saw several ministry people were trying to muscle their way through the crowd to get to the masked people, clearly not wanting to curse anyone in fear it would make the Roberts family fall.**

"Understandable that, can't apparate to their side either without risking getting blasted to smithereens, have to be a group effort," Remus was muttering under his breath, tapping away an insane rhythm on his knee in pure agitation he couldn't be helping.

**The lanterns from before had been put out, the people shoving into one another along the dark path was causing just as much mayhem inside the trees, children could still be heard crying and still more anxious people were screaming into the night.**

James and Sirius remembered their earlier joke about how they'd wanted to start a riot between the two rival Quidditch teams, and how that had somehow been turned on its head into this catastrophe, and now they just wanted to hear that everyone made it out of this night alive!

**Harry felt himself being pushed hither and thither by people whose faces he could not see. Then he heard Ron yell with pain.**

Lily yelped so painfully, she sounded like she'd been sat on, but she couldn't even pretend to be okay when they all gave her anxious looks. She was picturing those Death Eater's catching up to her son, gagging and dragging him back to that decrepit Voldemort, or any other number of terrible things all because Ron had somehow gotten hurt!

Harry wanted to reassure her, he may feel dread for this night but he wanted to calm them all down that nothing too bad was going to happen to him, but that felt like he was dismissing what had happened to Mr. Robert's family, and he wasn't even sure if he was completely right, so he decided to keep going instead.

**Hermione cried out for him, and when he didn't immediately respond she lit her wand to find Ron just a bit off the path lying in the dirt.**

"He's going to get trampled like that," Sirius muttered, still jittering in a wholly different way than he had been in just the previous chapter.

**He grumbled that he'd just tripped as he got back to his feet.**

That was such a mundane thing compared to what they'd been afraid of, it almost caused them to laugh in surprise. Almost. They still felt wound up and wretched, but at least it was a breath of fresh air reminding that everything must turn out okay.

**Someone began laughing at this misfortune, and Harry didn't have to look hard to find Draco Malfoy,**

"Of course," James spat, his hazel eyes lighting furiously. "Why am I not surprised, it was probably his parents idea to do all of that!"

"Won't find anyone in here disagreeing," Harry muttered with such a vicious flip of the page he nearly tore it out.

**leaning against a tree in the most casual of manners, clearly watching the show back on the campsite.**

"Oh he's being real subtle," Remus sneered. "May as well go out and wave a sign around."

"Please have Hermione punch him again, please," Lily growled.

**Ron told Malfoy to do something that Harry knew he would never have dared say in front of Mrs. Weasley.**

"I don't know," Sirius rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, though his tone wasn't up to its normal teasing levels even in appreciation of that statement. "I think she might just turn a deaf ear in light of what's going on."

**Malfoy hardly reacted, saying they'd better keep running before Hermione was seen.**

Harry felt himself stiffen up in even further disgust, the thought of Hermione up there with Mr. Robert's family making him want to retch, but he drew on every last drop of confidence he could muster that wasn't going to happen to his sister.

**At that moment the loudest bang of all went off, green light flooding their surroundings.**

Lily shuddered in renewed horror, the color green taking on a whole new light with what could be going on back there.

**Hermione snapped back she demanded to know what he was on about, and Malfoy just laughed that those people out there were after Muggles. So unless she wanted to show off her knickers next, which would be pretty funny.**

"You can't spot a Muggle just by looking at them!" James ground out through gritted teeth.

"Though I wouldn't put it past Malfoy, either of them, to shout it out," Remus seethed.

**Harry snarled back that Hermione was a witch! Malfoy's smirk just widened, saying that if they wanted to test how well someone could spot a Mudblood, they should stick around.**

Harry felt an acrid taste burning his tongue as he said that for the first time in his life, now knowing how his father felt. Even when you didn't mean it, it would always feel wrong to say.

**Ron shouted at him to watch his own language!**

"Do the slug curse again," Sirius suggested viciously, "you've got a proper wand now!"

"That's being kind, but a nice start," Remus nodded.

**Hermione didn't seem to care too much, as she grabbed the back of Ron's shirt and began pulling him away.**

"Or just punch him," James smirked, "I'll take either."

**There was another bang, getting closer every time, and even more people screaming. Malfoy just continued to laugh.**

It did not surprise them this was his reaction, not after everything he'd said and done previously, it was just all the more loathsome to continually hear about it.

**He mocked the people around him for scaring so easily, then demanded of Ron if his dad was one of the idiots trying to save those Muggles? Ron shot back that Malfoy's dad was probably one of those keeping the Muggles up in the air.**

"So proud of you, that's exactly what I was going to say," James sighed.

**Malfoy's smug expression didn't even twitch as he said if his dad was out there, he wouldn't be telling them.**

"Just put a big ol' sign up to say he was right why don't you, it would be much subtler," Remus hissed.

**Hermione was really trying to get the two boys to walk away now, saying they'd gotten too far away from Ron's siblings. Malfoy laughed as she convinced them to start leaving, mockingly tossing back to keep her head down.**

"Can't believe Hermione actually did manage to pull you both out of the way after all of that," Lily sighed in honest disappointment. Harry couldn't be out there helping Arthur, but he could at least get his own payback on this pompous child.

"We really did want to get Hermione out of there after that though," Harry muttered darkly.

**Ron was still muttering about how he was sure Lucius was one under those hoods.**

"Am not taking that bet," Sirius agreed.

**Hermione was trying to sooth that the Ministry would most likely catch them, while still looking around desperately for the other three, who'd vanished.**

"Of course you got separated from them," James groaned, rubbing furiously at the ridge of his nose and nearly knocking his glasses off he was already so upset by this set up. Nothing good had ever came of these three getting separated!

**They kept pushing through though, running into a few random people along the way. One girl caught sight of them and ran up, asking them something in pure French, only the name Madame Maxime coming through.**

Harry successfully butchered that so well, it took Remus a moment to ask, "was that French?"

"Err, yes," Harry muttered with a slight blush.

Whether he'd done it on purpose or not, probably not, that actually managed to cause genuine smiles back on all of them for at least this small and funny little distraction.

**When they responded back in English, the girl muttered an apology and walked back to her group, muttering something about 'Ogwarts. Hermione said Beauxbatons as they kept walking,**

After the last chapter he'd heard about involving several of the foreign schools, Harry didn't need much to put together that must be the French equivalent of Hogwarts.

**explaining for the boys that was the French Academy of Magic. She'd read about it in An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe.**

"Of course she did," Remus gave a soft snort of delight, remembering how both he and Harry had thought earlier that's how Hermione would come across that information.

**Harry agreed with disinterest, while Ron lit his own wand and rose it above his head to look for his siblings. Harry went digging for his own to help, when he realized he couldn't find it.**

"It what!" James squaked in alarm.

Harry was gaping down at the book like a fish out of water, patting his own pocket now and feeling comforted his wand was at least there now!

"You, you left it in the tent, or," Sirius began stammering, eyeing Harry like he'd instead said he'd left his glasses behind. Even that would have made more sense.

"I, no I don't think so, the last time I remember having it-" he struggled, his mind floundering because he never used it on his summer holiday, but he always kept it in his pocket, so it was an unconscious feeling. He hadn't used it his whole time while at the Burrow, but he'd brought it along to the Cup. He hadn't used it there either, but it had always been in his pocket. There was an alarm bell going off in the base of his skull, something painful telling him he should know quite well where it had gone, but that was missing like any other important thing he tried to remember!

His frustration was clearly growing on his face, so James quickly jumped in by placing a calming hand on his shoulder and soothing, "relax Harry, I know you find it, and I also know you didn't just leave it lying around." He struggled for a moment, trying to understand what could have happened to it, as a wizard's wand was akin to an extra finger, you were never without it. He couldn't fathom what could be going on, but still persisted, "so let's get to that part where everything gets better again."

Harry nodded without any enthusiasm, but at least appreciated they weren't all badgering him about losing it.

**The only thing on him was his Omnioculars. Harry exclaimed in fear it wasn't there, and Ron and Hermione froze as they looked on the ground for it now. Harry kept patting himself down, but it was nowhere around.**

"Be a little worried if it was just randomly lying around," Remus muttered, as wands weren't know for just randomly falling out of pockets. If it had been him who'd tripped over a root, that would have been one thing, but no, he was sure something else besides dropping it was going on, that Chamber must have taught Harry about throwing his wand any old place.

**Ron suggested it had been left in the tent, while Hermione offered he may have dropped it while they'd been running.**

They shifted uncomfortably, finding these fair enough answers, but still as unusual as it could get, and just as unlikely coming from those two as themselves.

**Harry absently agreed, suddenly feeling naked. He never went anywhere without his wand, and now felt ten times more vulnerable.**

"Glad you agree," Lily murmured, those horrible visions from before still twisting away behind her mind's eye, now more terrible than ever that her son couldn't magically defend himself.

**There was a rustling noise to their left, and then Winky came stumbling out. She was moving odd, like she was trying to run forward but something was pulling her backwards.**

Harry choked as he got that out, going incredibly wide eyed all over again, but whatever he felt for that description was gone in a flash and his mind was back to gnawing on what had happened to his wand, something that was causing him an equal amount of pain in his head, no need to add more. Then why was something trying to warn him these two things were connected...

**She was muttering to herself about how bad wizards were around, people being lifted in the air, and how she wanted to get out of there! She managed to struggle into another clump of bushes and vanish again. Ron asked why she'd been acting like that, and Harry offered it was probably because she'd been doing something without permission.**

Even as Harry said that...(again...this time travel thing made that annoying,) he could feel something wasn't right, this was the wrong answer, and still he couldn't grasp hold of it for any reason and instead forced himself to concentrate on the print, much less painful.

**His mind was on Dobby, who often acted the same way when he disobeyed a Malfoy order. Hermione was frowning after the little thing indignantly as she said how bad house-elves had it.**

Harry nearly sobbed in relief at finally something much lighter for his conclusions to settle on, though he did wonder what about Hermione speaking of house-elves would lead to. He greedily latched onto it though, as he'd nearly developed a second pulse behind his eyes he'd been thinking so much about things he should know better of by now.

**Speaking of how that was slavery. Mr. Crouch had forced her to go up to the stadium even though she'd been terrified to do so,**

"Did he even show up?" Lily muttered randomly, that never having been noted at all. It was quite rude of him to force his house-elf to go up there and never even bother to show. Surely nothing so important could be going on during the actual cup.

**and now she couldn't even run when all the tents were being trampled.**

"She's not bewitched," Sirius snorted. "She didn't get permission, and was probably told not to leave the tent for some reason. That's just part of how they are."

"So you're okay with Winky getting hurt, just because Crouch didn't release her from that command before he ran off?" Lily demanded of him in blistering tones.

Sirius threw his hands in defeat at once, saying, "hey, I'm just saying he didn't do it on purpose."

Lily still had her eyes narrowed at him, and while Harry would have been more than happy at this rate watching them bicker about this, he also noticed Remus quickly trying to wave him on before the argument could escalate as well, so he sighed and kept at it.

**Demanding of nobody why hadn't this been stopped long before now. Ron just shrugged that the elves were happy the way they were, but Hermione turned on him at once that it was people like him who were too lazy-**

"Lazy?" James raised a brow in surprise. "He's just saying it like it's always been for thousands of years. I really don't see what Hermione's so strung up about either."

Lily ground her teeth together, but shook her head in furious silence. She understood completely where Hermione was coming from, after watching poor Dobby for a whole year and now this, she was really regretting her own life that she hadn't looked into this more. All she'd ever known were the house-elves at Hogwarts, treated perfectly well and never a care, and she'd naively believed that all were treated the same. She now realized how ignorant that was, and quite agreed with where she was positive Hermione was heading, there should be a standard for their living as much as anybody's.

**There was another bang from behind them cutting off the rest of her words, and Ron suggested they keep moving with a worried look at Hermione. Harry couldn't help but agree, maybe there had been some truth to what Malfoy had said and Hermione was in more danger then them.**

Sadly, that really was true. Honestly all three made wonderful targets for any Death Eater. The son of a blood traitor, who readily stood by his father and family. The Muggleborn, though not obvious Malfoy at least could point out. And the Boy Who Lived, which went without saying, and wandless! All three of them really needed to keep their heads down.

**They set off again, Harry still searching his pockets, even though he knew his wand wasn't there.**

Sadly that pain popped right back into Harry's temple the moment he was reminded of that, somehow doubling since it had gone away in its persistence he should be remembering something.

**They continued down the dark winding path still keeping an eye out for more Weasley's, but all they passed were some goblins laughing over a sack of gold,**

In his current mindset, he didn't even notice the light flutter he felt that this detail may have been important later.

**and then a large group of veela,**

"Guess they're not worried about anything," Lily rolled her eyes.

**surrounded by a gaggle of young wizards, all of whom were talking very loudly.**

"Well that'll make you forget what's going on behind you," Sirius snorted with derision. Even he had to admit this was a terrible time to be flirting.

**They were all shouting nonsense at the veela, one saying how he made a hundred Galleons a year!**

"Congratulations," James rolled his eyes, "you should be richer than the richest by next month."

**Another was yelling how he was a dragon killer!**

"Not everyone appreciates that kind of boasting," Lily sniffed, finding that far more sad that this was a needed job then brave or whatever that numbskull was going for. She wasn't even the biggest fan of dragons and she wasn't fond of the idea of killing them.

**A boy right beside him called him out on that lie, shouting that he was a dishwasher at the Leaky Cauldron, but then boasted his own that he was a vampire hunter!**

"Right, and you happen to be friends with a dishwasher. Good of you to keep the company," Remus muttered.

**One who stuck out to Harry who had pimples all over his face shouted next that he was slated to be the youngest ever Minister of Magic.**

"I'm sure he'll do a better job than the current one," Sirius snorted, while Harry randomly thought he should find that funny, giving a slight snort as he recognized this young man, and finding irony that he in fact would do better.

**Harry snorted with laughter as he recognized him, Stan Shunpike, a conductor on the Knight Bus.**

"Oh that's brilliant," Lily snickered. She understood it was the magic of the Veela forcing them to want to impress making them act like fools, but she still found it sad that the way they went about it was lying. At least James never resorted to that in his mad attempts to gain her favor. Not that she was dumb enough to believe half of this bullocks, so it was a moot point.

**Harry meant to tell Ron this, but then Ron chose that moment to begin shouting that he'd just invented a broom that could make it all the way to Jupiter.**

"Now that I'd like to see," James laughed. "What's the brand you're calling it then, the Zeus model?"

"I'll let you know if he does," Harry promised with an easy smile, thanking once again this lighthearted switch for the reprieve he was getting, no matter how short.

**Hermione sniffed as she and Harry grabbed hold of Ron's arms and dragged him away.**

"I noticed you weren't affected that time," Remus pointed out.

Harry just shrugged, muttering, "wasn't really paying attention till I heard Stan speak up, then I was too busy laughing."

**By the time all of that yelling had faded away, they were now mostly alone in the dark forest, things seemed to have gotten quieter.**

Lily felt like goosebumps were smothering her as she said, "well, then perhaps you should go back and laugh at the Veela's admirers a bit more. It's not good for you to be so far out by yourself. Plus, you never caught up to Ron's siblings, I'm sure they're worried about you."

Harry wanted to agree, to voice that he had gone back into the more populated areas of the forest, but the words wouldn't come, something he knew he'd regret.

**Harry was looking around as he said they should just wait where they were, they could hear anyone coming.**

The four of them sighed in disappointment. Why did Harry have to be the one to suggest that? Was he trying to make their life more miserable by seeming to go out of his way in his younger self to cause these situations?!

**He'd hardly got done saying that when Bagman burst from the trees, looking quite disheveled.**

Sirius was frowning in concern for someone he'd almost call an idol, wondering what on earth could have happened to him. He hadn't been mugged had he, he'd been carrying around an awful lot of gold for his betting. Had he perhaps run into a not happy customer about a big loss? He really hoped he was okay, or had Bludgeoned whoever it was, causing that other person to look far more then strained.

**He caught sight of them and asked what they were doing out here? Ron pointed back towards the campsite and said they were hiding from the riot. Bagman blinked in shock before demanding 'what?'**

"So, he didn't know?" Lily raised a brow in surprise.

"What's he been doing this whole time, it's hardly been subtle," Remus agreed.

"Maybe he found an old friend and brought her along for some privacy," James smirked, thinking there were plenty of reasons he could be looking tossed around.

**They began to explain, but once they were done Bagman swore in surprise,**

"A very appropriate reaction honestly," Sirius huffed.

**said 'damn them',**

"Them?" They all asked in surprise, Sirius now thinking he may have been closer than he thought, but hopefully Bagman would file a report of it later and get back whatever he deserved.

**and then Disapparated away. Hermione was frowning where he'd just been, saying how he wasn't on top of things much.**

"You can't blame him for not being on high alert twenty four seven," Sirius muttered, grains of pity still lingering for him.

**Ron just shrugged and said that he'd been a great Beater,**

"Because that just made everything better," Lily snorted.

**his old team the Wimbourne Wasps won the league three times when he'd been playing for them.**

Sirius was more than happy to make a triumphant noise in delight at this news, hoping Harry and Ron would whittle away the boring hours until Arthur found them with Quidditch talk.

**He took his figurine of Krum out of his pocket, set it down on the ground, and watched it walk around.**

Giving all of them a nice laugh as well. They were still tense and uneasy, they couldn't help it until Harry was back out of that forest and safely back at the Burrow, but it was nice that he had Ron and Hermione there in the meantime to keep up distractions like this from the worst of their thoughts.

**Ron sat down in the leaves to watch it pace around, and silence lingered for a few more moments before Hermione again voiced that she hoped the others were okay. Ron assured they were all fine, and Harry voiced that he hoped Arthur caught Lucius in the act.**

"This whole ordeal will be worth it if that's true," Sirius nodded.

**Ron agreed that would make his life, while Hermione whispered how bad those poor Muggles had it, wondering if they would get down okay?**

"They will," Remus said at once at the uneasy look on Harry's face. "Then they'll make sure they're okay, before most likely giving them a powerful memory charm to erase this terrible instance from their mind."

"A kindness honestly," Lily sighed, "otherwise they may have gone mad from this."

**Ron once again assured her everything would be fine. Hermione then changed to pointing out how mad those masked people were to have pulled this with so many Ministry people around.**

"While true-" Lily sighed.

"They don't care," James finished for her with an ugly look in place. "It's all about making a statement with that lot, so long as there were more of them then the Ministry who would help, with a nice loud distraction which I'm sure they easily got, they'd keep at it till they had no other choice."

Harry was frowning sadly out the window, now wondering just how often events like this occurred in their time.

**Neither boy got a chance to respond as they heard someone in the nearby blackness stumbling around.**

They all went ramrod straight, their hands going instinctively towards their wands, a stupid but involuntary reaction as they heard some stranger was around Harry at this time.

**Then the footsteps stopped, and Harry called out if anyone was there? ****

James looked like he was visibly restraining himself from snapping as he said, "Harry, did you really just ask that! You're supposed to be quiet and stay out of sight at this time, not go yelling 'hey I'm over here!"

Harry was frowning at him, half feeling chastised that it probably had been a bad idea in retrospect, but also wanting to defend himself that at the time he hadn't seen himself in that much danger. He suppressed it though, they were tense enough and he really didn't want to pick at this.

**Another long beat of silence, then a voice shouted out the spell 'Morsmordre.'**

"Don't recognize that," Sirius muttered to himself, not that this made anyone feel any better. There were plenty of terrible curses out there these people had never heard of because they wouldn't go out looking for them.

**Something vast, green,**

Lily felt a scream rearing up in her throat at the thought of any green spell being set off around her baby, again!

**and glittering erupted from the patch of darkness Harry's eyes had been struggling to penetrate; it flew up over the treetops and into the sky.**

Then she felt foolish and embarrassed when he finished, sounding more puzzled than anything. She was being jumpy and paranoid, he was sitting there reading it, of course he hadn't had the killing curse set on him. It still wasn't helping her nerves one bit though, just too constantly remind herself. Maybe she'd made more a noise then she'd intended to, maybe Sirius was just getting to fidgety with all of this built up angst and he knew he was upsetting his charge, but the next thing Lily knew she had her baby in her lap which quickly calmed her down far better than anything else could.

**Ron gaped in shock as it continued to rise above the treetops, looking much like the leprechaun formations from before. It transformed itself into a skull, with a serpent coming out of the mouth.**

Harry was blinking in puzzlement as he finished the description, just knowing he should know what this was called, but when he looked up expectantly in hopes someone would tell him, he instead found all of them with sickly pale skin and gaping at him like he'd just turned into a corpse.

"Y-You're within shouting distance of a Death Eater!?" Sirius' throat couldn't seem to decide if it was going to fail him or release a rumbling growl as he got that out.

"That's what you got out of that?" Harry asked in surprise. "From some snake in the sky?"

"Th-that's, the Da-Dark Mark. Voldemort's symbol!" James managed to stutter out, wondering far too often for his liking how his son had survived to his current age. "Only a Death Eater knows how to produce it, so yes. That is understandably the first thing he, and the rest of us, grasped on."

"Oh," Harry simply muttered, unable to think of anything else to add to that. None of this explained what his ever growing agitation was, something building in the back of his mind that was quite insistently saying he should know this particular Death Eater, but that must be ridiculous. Hopefully he never got any closer to one of Voldemort's henchmen then he was in that moment, otherwise his family really might have a hernia.

Deciding to keep reading rather than watching them gasp for air, Harry forged on.

**It seemed to grow brighter, like a new constellation forming, and then the screaming began again, louder than ever. Harry had no idea why, though he linked it to the glowing image in the sky. His eyes went back down to where it had been cast, and he again called out for who was out there.**

"Harry James Potter, you stop that before you give me a heart attack!" Lily half screeched, only able to strangle off the full volume because even that scolding of her elder son made his younger counterpart begin crying in protest.

Harry was watching her with sever worry, remembering the last time she'd told him off for something he'd done in the past. At least then the other boys had helped her to laugh it off, as it had already happened long enough ago her snapping wouldn't do any good. Looking around now though, he saw they were quite in agreement with her exclamation, which wasn't making him feel any better. Desperately hoping now he had stopped shouting out or he'd probably regret it in this time, Harry tried to keep going in as calm a voice as possible to remind them all he was perfectly fine.

**Hermione was trying to get them to move again, tugging on his shirt and begging him to run.**

"Least one of you lot has some bleeding sense," Remus hissed, now wishing more than anything Harry hadn't been split off from Arthur, or Sirius had come, or if he'd bothered to keep in contact, anything then this constant mess that was Harry's life seeming to find the most danger when he was at his most vulnerable.

**Harry asked what her problem was, as she'd gone white faced with fear.**

"Does she know what that is?" Sirius asked in surprise, at least that distracted him from picturing that _thing_ being cast right over his little pup's body while he was on the opposite side of the world.

"I guess I can see how," James muttered through almost chattering teeth as he was picturing much the same thing. "Wouldn't surprise me if the marks shown up in a book or two about Voldemort's reign."

**Hermione told that it was the Dark Mark, You-Know-Who's sign!**

"Right in one Prongs," Remus muttered, shifting his weight with continuing agitation, no matter how much it aggravated his injuries, that flare of pain was a constant reminder he was in the hear in now, listening to Harry read this rather than picturing it go a more gruesome way.

**Harry tried to ask for more, but Hermione just begged them to start walking. Ron paused to pick up his Krum,**

"Priorities," Lily mumbled, bouncing her infant in her arms to keep them both calm.

**but the three of them only made it a few steps before there were about twenty pops of wizard's apparating into their space, surrounding the three.**

Harry hadn't believed they could be more upset than they had in just the last book, but when he read that and their first thought was to jump to the fact that Harry was now surrounded on all sides by Death Eaters like that had been a calling, he was pretty sure his dad having vomited back during the Chamber would be a kind look back.

**Harry recognized all wands were pointing at them,**

Harry was quite glad he was the one reading, as when he glanced up all he saw was a mask of shocked faces on convulsing throats like they were all fighting back the urge to scream some more, most likely their own voices would have failed them at this point. All Harry remembered feeling at the time was shock, and the urge to hit the deck.

**and he reacted first by seizing his friends necks and pulling them to the ground, screaming 'Duck!'**

"Anaticula!" Sirius suddenly yelped at his side.

Harry looked at him with great concern, like he thought his godfather had finally lost his bleeding mind, but it had the desired effect of causing James and Remus to snap out of their comas and burst out laughing.

Lily looked just as confused as he felt, but Harry still had more sense about him as he demanded, "what's that mean?"

Sirius had to shake his head a couple of times to make sure his head was on straight and clear, before putting on a farce of his carefree nature and explaining, "it's a curse that makes your wand only able to produce ducks for the next few spells. Great laugh while you're running away." He managed to say all of that with only a few minor spasms of shock still wearing off from picturing all of this being directed at Harry.

"Remus used it on us once," James added on when it seemed Lily was finally calming back down as well, and hoping to keep them all breathing on this subject for as long as possible he turned mock angry eyes on Remus and finished in a 'huffy' tone, "in the middle of dinner. McGonagall wouldn't believe we hadn't done it on purpose, gave us detention that night, forcing me to reschedule one of my Quidditch practices."

"You two deserved it," Remus shot back, an old satisfied smirk in place his friends hadn't seen in awhile. "It was one of you lots fault I got strung up by my foot and missed my Care of Magical Creatures class that day, and since neither of you would tell me who did it, you both deserved it."

Lily was watching between the three with an actual smile in place now, unable to believe she could hold the expression in light of what was happening to her son, but had actually quite enjoyed during school watching the Marauders pick on each other much more than watching them go after their prank victims, so hearing retellings like this were always a treat.

The distraction had worked, they were all much more grounded and feeling at least less likely to have heart failure as Harry continued.

**They slammed into the ground,**

"Thank Merlin for those Quidditch reflexes," James murmured.

**just as all the voices shouted as one 'Stupefy!'**

At least that made them all feel better at the situation Harry was in. Certainly not content, but it was nicer to hear he only would have been stunned then something far worse.

**Beams of red light went whizzing above their head, ricocheting off of trees and going every which way, and only ceasing when one voice called out above the rest for them to stop, that was his son!**

"Arthur," Lily nearly sobbed in relief, knowing that couldn't refer to anyone else.

"So it was the Ministry who went there," James agreed, still looking fairly faint but at least some color returned to his face as he realized that.

**Mr. Weasley came stumbling towards them, looking more terrified than Harry had ever seen him as he asked if they were alright?**

"I can imagine," Remus nodded, knowing Arthur would have felt the same way they just had of finding his son under that mark.

**Someone snapped at Arthur to move,**

"Bite me!" James snapped at once, riling up at anyone trying to get in Arthur's way as he checked on those kids.

**which turned out to be Mr. Crouch.**

"I'll second that," Sirius agreed with a nasty look still in place, wanting to crack all twenty of those ministry fools over the head for shooting at his pup.

**He and the other Ministry people were coming in closer as Harry got to his feet, facing Mr. Crouch who had his face drawn with fury. His wand was pointing at all three intermittently as he demanded which of them had done it.**

"He actually just looked you in the face and demanded that?" Lily growled, her eyes narrowing furiously. " _You?_ The bleeding Boy Who Lived."

"Plus a Weasley and a Muggleborn, the only ones they caught sight of, oh yeah it's hard to tell who has more motive in that group," Remus snarked.

"I'm just hoping they did manage to stun, incompetently but still, the one who did do it," James grumbled, hoping at least some good came of their heart attack moment.

**Harry frowned in confusion as he said they hadn't done that while gesturing up above. Ron agreed they hadn't done a thing while looking indignantly at his father.**

"He's the one defending you," Sirius snorted. "What's he glaring at him for?"

"Mr. Weasley looked just as shocked as anyone else," Harry shrugged, "maybe to Ron it looked more acquisitory."

**While demanding to know why they'd been attacked.**

**Crouch snapped at Ron not to lie, while adding on a sir.**

"At some point you can drop the manners," Remus muttered with an eye roll.

**His wand now pointed right in Ron's face, his eyes popping with fury.**

All of them scowled heavily at that, finding it completely uncalled for to be pointing a wand in Ron's face, when he hadn't even drawn his own to defend himself!

**A witch in the back reminded Crouch that these were just kids, they couldn't have done that. Arthur turned on his charges and asked them where had the Mark come from?**

"At least there are some sensible adults around," Lily sniffed.

**Hermione pointed to the space, saying an incantation had been shouted. Crouch turned on her now, shouting about how she seemed well aware of how to make the Mark appear.**

"Oh goodness me, you use an incantation to summon a magical image in the sky, who would have thunk it!" Remus snapped, not being able to press any more sarcasm into that if he'd tried.

**No one else paid Hermione a second glance though, instead all wands turned to where the kids had pointed.**

"Great, good to know it's only one out of twenty we should be really worried about," Sirius grumbled.

**The same witch from before sighed it was no good, that person would have Disapparated by now.**

"Probably at the exact same time they appeared, so you wouldn't have even heard it," James sighed, mostly in relief whoever that was, wasn't around his son anymore.

**Then another spoke up saying he didn't think so, and Harry recognized Amos Diggory,**

"Oh great, now I get two people in one clearing to piss me off," Sirius mock cheered, making Harry already long for the carefree chapter they'd just had and see them really happy again.

**saying how they may have got a lucky shot with their stunners, they had gone through those trees. He walked off to go check himself, with several people behind him calling out warnings to be careful.**

"Or, you know, at least a few of you could go with him!" Lily snapped, taking every last bit of her self-restraint not to facepalm in exasperation. They outnumbered that one lone person who was back there, and even if there were more, it was still more safe then just sending one person.

**Mr. Diggory shouted back a few moments later that they'd caught someone,**

"Finally, some good news," Remus sighed, actually sagging back in relief, thinking that was one less problem they had to worry about.

Harry though, was wondering why his first reaction was to think Mr. Diggory was wrong, they hadn't gotten anyone that night... but the thought flew away almost at once and he simply agreed with Remus instead.

**but then he trailed off in surprise as he seemed to recognize whoever it was.**

"That didn't seem like a good reaction though," Sirius frowned in concern.

**Crouch did not sound convinced as he demanded who,**

"He _really_ still thinks it's those three kids?!" James snapped in disbelief, wanting more than anything to smack Crouch a good one.

**as Diggory walked back in, with Winky in his arms.**

"What?" All five of them yelped at once.

"There's no way that little elf did that," Sirius snorted in disbelief.

"The voice didn't even match," Harry agreed, still frowning deeply as he gently tried to understand why his earlier feeling was clearly right now.

"What was Winky even doing in that area though?" Lily's frown kept deepening the longer she thought about this. "We heard a Death Eater's voice in that direction, it's impossible Winky would be following them around as she belongs to Crouch."

Harry opened his mouth to reply, then thought better of it and quickly shut it before he vomited instead from the stress of repressing his response. The truth was, none of them had any idea what was going on, and absolutely none of them wanted to find out. They didn't care about this mystery, didn't want to sit on the idea any longer then they had to, because they didn't want it to have anything to do with Harry. They kept hoping any second now Arthur would jump in and say that these kids were no longer needed and take them away back to the Burrow for some actual peace!

**Crouch froze as Diggory placed Winky at his feet. Crouch muttered this must be some mistake as he walked off to that same area, going out of sight but could still be heard searching the bushes for another culprit. Diggory called back that he'd checked, Winky was the only one there.**

Harry had to blink hard a few times to keep some bright spots out of his eyes, but then kept on after a moment, now working harder than ever to ignore whatever feeling that gave him for whatever reason.

**Diggory was shaking his head sadly as he muttered what a surprise this was, for Crouch's elf to have done this.**

"They can't really think she did it?" James raised an even more disbelieving brow, somehow managing to find this more ridiculous than them thinking it was Harry. "She's a house-elf!"

While Lily agreed with him it was every kind of ludicrous, she didn't much like his tone of saying it.

**Mr. Weasley scolded this was ridiculous, he couldn't really be serious in saying it was an elf to have done this.**

"Now why would he think it was me helping the elf?" Sirius quickly inserted, ignoring all accompanied groans. "I like to think mine's gone off and died by this point."

Harry gave him a smile, still not having grown tired of that joke yet, but didn't linger on it either.

**Reminding you had to have a wand to summon the Dark Mark, and Diggory agreed she'd had one.**

"Had a what now?" Lily demanded, sure she'd heard that wrong.

**They all turned surprised eyes at that, as Diggory said she'd had one in her hand, in direct violation to a code stating that non-human creatures weren't allowed to carry such a thing. Ludo Bagman Apparated onto the scene just then, gasping about the Dark Mark!**

"Thank you, I hadn't noticed," Lily rolled her eyes.

"Where's he been this whole time?" Sirius asked in confusion, some of the misty eyed awe of a Quidditch star starting to wear off. "I thought the last time he Disapparated away was to go help with the riot. He should have seen it at the same time as the rest of these twenty people and come then."

"Search us," Remus sighed, thinking they'd had more questions from this chapter alone already building up, and it was clearly driving Harry mad as he once again went cross eyed in pain at being unable to answer them. He, along with everyone else, really wanted this chapter to be done with already.

**His eyes flickered to Barty, who was coming back into sight, but then he added on another question of why he hadn't been at the match?**

"So he never did show up," James murmured.

"That's incredibly odd for him," Lily explained to Harry, who was watching all of the boys holding a puzzled expression. "He was a big hand in putting this event together, he was expected to show up for it. Crouch does not miss that type of thing, it wouldn't look good," she finished with a sniff of distaste.

Harry felt like he was getting a little tick at the base of his skull, a muscle that just kept spasming every other sentence now as more and more of what he was hearing he was sure would come to bite him in the arse later, but for now he thanked his mum and kept going.

**Reminding that his elf had been saving him a seat, but then Bagman caught sight of Winky and yelped in surprise what had happened to her? Crouch explained that she'd been stunned, and it took a moment for Bagman's eyes to flicker to her, then up to the Mark, before understanding took him and he gasped in surprise she couldn't have done that! She'd need a wand! Diggory repeated she'd had one, then asked Crouch if it was okay they unstun her to get some answers.**

All four of them mumbled something about how it was bleeding obvious from the start she hadn't a thing to do with this and they should be out looking for who really did, but none of it was articulate enough Harry stopped.

**When the spell 'Ennervate' was used on her and she sat up, Winky burst into tears instantly. Diggory snapped at her to look at him, reminding of his position as a member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.**

"Is he trying to scare her?" Remus' scowl deepened at this, finding this more than uncalled for of the clearly innocent creature.

"He's certainly not going out of his way to pretend otherwise," Lily nodded in agreement.

**Then he demanded an explanation of what she'd been doing. Winky sobbed she hadn't done anything, while Diggory flashed the wand for all to see and snapped at her to explain where she'd found this. Harry caught sight of it properly for the first time, and exclaimed that was his!**

"What?" They all yelped, finding that all too common an occurrence recently!

"How in Merlin's underpants did your wand end up in the same clearing as Winky, and a Death Eater!?" James gasped out first.

"That sounds like the bad start to a joke," Sirius moaned, rubbing furiously at his forehead to stave away a growing sense of doom.

"I-but-you-when-" Lily could not get out more than one word before her voice failed her and she just kept looking at her gobsmacked son, but he shook off the shock quicker than she did and continued in a hurry now.

**Everyone turned startled eyes back to him.**

"Guess that wasn't the best time to go shouting that when they all think it's you," Remus muttered.

"There really isn't a good time to say that in this circumstance," Sirius reminded.

**Harry repeated that was his wand, that he'd dropped it. Diggory repeated that back in absolute disbelief. Demanding of Harry if that was a confession, that he'd thrown it aside after he'd conjured the Mark?**

"Yeah, that's what he said," Remus snorted, his eyes darkening more and more every second the longer he heard about Diggory. His jumping to conclusions attitude along with his no good character was making Remus edgier the longer this carried on.

**Arthur jumped in angrily then, demanding Amos think about what he'd just said to Harry Potter. Diggory agreed he'd gotten carried away.**

"Damn right you did," James snapped, happy at least Arthur was keeping that man in check.

**Harry then explained he hadn't dropped it anywhere around there, he'd only noticed it was missing when he came into the woods.**

"But," Lily finally managed to collect herself to get out a real question, "does that mean Winky did take it from you in the Top Box? She's the only other person outside of your group who had the means to do it. I just cannot for the life of me imagine why."

"If not, then it's a really big fat coincidence," James sighed, running his hand through his hair in agitation. Of all the people who could be suspected of taking Harry's wand, as the more they heard of this the more they believed Harry hadn't simply dropped it, and it simply wound up in the grip of a Death Eater to use in the conjuration of the Dark Mark.

**Diggory instead turned back on Winky, demanding of the elf that she'd found it and decided to have some fun.**

"No one's going to question that she just, found it!" Sirius scowled, knowing the elf probably didn't have a better answer than that, but he wanted one anyways.

**Winky wailed that she hadn't done anything!**

Lily began wriggling around in displeasure now, feeling bad she'd thrown out a question regarding Winky herself now, and she wasn't even there. The elf clearly had no more to do with this then Harry, couldn't they lay off her?

**She'd just picked it up!**

**Hermione jumped in then, going pink in shock when all eyes turned to her, yet still insisting it wasn't Winky.**

"Can't say I'm surprised," Remus gave a small smile, "she's shown time and again she'll do and say what she thinks is right."

"In this case, I'm grateful for it," Lily nodded in agreement.

**Explaining that Winky's voice was high pitched and squeaky, and the person they'd heard summon the Mark was definitely male. Diggory did not look impressed as he said there was a way to check and see what the last spell was used on a wand, directing this at the elf.**

"That doesn't prove anything," James snorted. "She just said she found it, and she's got witnesses proving it wasn't her who used it last. It's been established Harry's wand was the one to use that spell, showing that off doesn't mean a thing."

**Diggory then placed his wand tip to Harry's and used the spell 'Prior Incantato.'**

Harry's heart gave a very hard twist when he read that, for some reason leaning just slightly closer to his dad and glancing up at his mother for a moment, but only had a moment to wonder why before he kept going.

Both parents were still so wound up over the situation at hand, neither noticed Harry's second of hesitation.

**Sprouting from Harry's wand came a smaller resemblance of the glowing mark in the sky, which Diggory seemed to think proved his point as he shouted in triumph Winky had been caught in the act!**

"I am going to punch him." Sirius scowled, beginning to tense up on the spot the longer he kept going. "I don't even like elves and I don't talk to them like that. Use some brains man, she's obviously not got a thing to do with this."

"Thinking he doesn't need to be working with Magical Creatures much," James agreed with a serious nod. "He clearly looks down on them too much."

"He's much too quick to blame as well," Lily added on in the same tones as them.

Remus couldn't help but give them a light smile they hopefully didn't see, he knew for a fact they could get overly touchy about this without even realizing it.

**Arthur cut in then though, reminding how few wizards knew how to summon such a spell, where on earth could Winky have learned to do so? Crouch snapped that Diggory was implying he'd taught his elf this?**

"Ooh, snappy," Sirius raised an imperious brow, feeling his point had been made quite well, and he didn't even like the man who'd done it.

**Diggory went horrified with shock, stammering out of course that wasn't it to Crouch.**

"Little late for backtracking you hobnocker," James huffed.

**Crouch pressed in though, telling off Diggory for now having accused the two people in this clearing least likely to have done this, Harry Potter and himself! Surely Diggory knew of who Harry Potter was? Diggory agreed in uncomfortable tones everyone knew that.**

"Glad someone put him down," Lily gave a soft laugh, not having thought she'd be rooting for Crouch any time soon, but at least she found he was useful for something.

**Then Crouch also reminded he'd shown time and again the lengths he'd gone to prove how against Dark Magic he was!**

Harry felt a stirring in him again, like earlier when he'd felt something was off about Crouch speaking of his perfect unbreakable vows about rules. There was something there that Harry knew he should have a puzzle piece to, but it faded through his conscious like his brain was filled with cracks.

**Diggory tried to protest, saying he'd never meant to accuse Crouch.**

"You suggested his elf did," Remus smirked, "and that's as good as."

**Crouch shouted back that to accuse his elf was to accuse him!**

**Diggory tried to say she could have picked it up somewhere else,**

"Oh yes, I'm sure Death Eaters pop by all the time selling cookies and just give a friendly tutoring session of how to do that in the meantime," Sirius snorted.

**but then Arthur agreed Diggory had spoken true on that one. He turned his own attention on Winky, the first person to call her by name and kindly meet her eyes, but Winky still flinched away from him like all the rest,**

Lily couldn't help cooing again, wanting to do something to help the poor dear relax, as she knew there was no way she would be getting in trouble for anything, or at least she shouldn't be.

**as Arthur asked where she'd found the wand? Winky's voice still came out watery as she said she'd just found it lying there in the leaves. Arthur stood back up to face Diggory, saying clearly what had happened was that the person who'd cast the Dark Mark had simply used Harry's own wand then Disapparated away. It was actually clever not to have used their own wand. It was just Winky's misfortune to come across it moments later.**

"While I don't think he's wrong," James frown just got deeper as Arthur drew the same conclusions they'd been forced to come to.

"That hardly explains anything," Sirius grumbled.

"It actually just raises more questions," Remus sighed.

**Diggory gasped that this must mean that Winky had seen the person who had done all of this!**

"That," Lily struggled for a moment before grudgingly admitting, "is a really good point."

"Wish she'd started with that," Sirius huffed, "this could have been going a lot better."

**Then he turned on Winky and demanded of the elf if she'd seen anyone!**

**Winky's eyes flickered to her masters as she whispered she hadn't seen anyone.**

Harry had a mad desire to laugh, like he knew Winky was telling the truth in that moment...but leaving something off...

**Crouch seemed to decide that was enough, as he addressed Diggory by telling him that he was aware the normal course of events would be Diggory to take her into his department, but if he'd allow him to take his elf home? Amos clearly didn't want to agree, but clearly Crouch was such an important person he wasn't going to argue.**

"I'm truly shocked at how pleased I am," Remus frowned in pity for the poor thing, finding just a grain of irony that the very thing she'd feared would happen to Dobby was in fact being hung over her head this very same night, but at least her own master would be a better option.

**Crouch added on though that she would be punished for this night.**

"Ouch," Lily winced. After hearing about what the Malfoys had done to Dobby, she was actually quite afraid for Winky and what might become of her now.

**Winky began sobbing in shock, begging her master to reconsider, but Crouch's face was like stone as he snapped at her that he'd commanded she stay in the tent, and she'd disobeyed! This meant clothes!**

"Wow," James blinked spastically like Crouch had just started swearing in Mermish. "That was harsh."

"Yeah," Sirius had his head cocked to the side, his eyes narrowed like he was trying to study Crouch in person. "She did disobey, but it's hardly so grievous she should be sacked like that."

Remus and Lily exchanged a surprised look, considering their usual attitude towards elf's they would have honestly expected those two to agree with Crouch, but for all their laughing at the creatures, they clearly weren't as hard on them as they would lead.

Harry may have input his opinion on them, but he was too busy fighting back word vomit. There it was _again,_ something involving Crouch and Winky that made him want to spew out something, like a huge silent chunk of conversation had been taken place right in front of him, but he had nothing to offer except to read what was in front of him.

**Winky wailed, crawling to Crouch's feet and begging for anything but that! Crouch shook her off in disgust, but then Hermione jumped in by trying to defend the elf! Saying she'd been frightened, and shouldn't be blamed for running!**

Lily looked very much like she would get up and hug Hermione now, as well as shield her, for standing up to Crouch like that in front of everyone.

**Crouch did not remove his disgusted eyes from the elf as he told Hermione off to, saying he had no use for a servant who didn't listen, who ruined his reputation!**

"Oh I get it," Remus gave an ugly sneer now as his eyes flashed. "He's not getting rid of her because she didn't listen to him, she's getting the boot because she got caught and dragged Crouch into this."

"This is terrible," Lily scowled. "I don't even understand why he's reacting like this, no one's going to look twice at him now that everything's out in the open. Everyone there knows he's nothing to do with the dark arts, he shouldn't be taking all of this out on his elf like this!"

"While we agree," James sighed, feeling like they were hearing about a Dobby all over again, how often were these other house-elves treated like this? "It's no good shouting about it now dear."

She shot him the stank eye, but didn't pursue the point.

**Hermione may have kept going, but Arthur put himself back in then, saying Harry should have his wand back, which Diggory did, and then began escorting the kids away. He had to call twice before Hermione would follow, and the moment they were out of sight she began rampaging about the lot of them and how they'd been treating Winky! Everyone just referring to her as 'elf!'**

Sirius and James shared a surprised look, they hadn't even noticed that part.

**How dare Crouch do that to her, treating her like she wasn't even human! Ron did point out that technically she wasn't.**

Sirius closed his mouth sheepishly, he'd actually been about to say the same thing, but was now happy he hadn't gotten it out at the flashing look Lily gave the book for Ron's comment.

**Hermione turned on him and began shouting he wasn't acting any better than those- but Arthur cut her off by saying she could go on about elf rights later. Then he asked where the rest of his kids were? Ron said they'd gotten separated, then asked what that skull thing had been?**

"I'm actually a little more surprised Ron didn't know," James quirked a brow. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful he's never seen it, but still. You'd think his parents would have mentioned it."

"Not necessarily," Remus shrugged. "In the same concept as Ron not saying Voldemort's name, Ron and the kids of his generation would have been told as little as possible of what would have been a common occurrence to their parents, err us, whatever. The next generation of kids would have been shielded and told as little as possible of the horrors of this war."

James pondered that for a moment, not really in agreement as he didn't think this should just be glossed over, but couldn't argue the point much either. They were only fourteen, James wasn't even happy Harry was so involved with this at that age, so he let the matter slide.

**Mr. Weasley didn't relax one little bit as they made it back out of the forest, but were bombarded almost at once by a group of people demanding questions of Arthur, asking if anyone had been caught, who'd done that Mark, and was it Him? Arthur snapped back of course it wasn't You-Know-Who, and the perpetrator had Disapparated away, then he escorted himself and his kids off to bed.**

"Snappy," Sirius gave a small smirk.

"Probably still worried about the rest of his kids," Lily added, thinking that as soon as Ron was back at the tent Arthur would probably go looking for the twins and Ginny, most likely as his eldest three were now doing.

**Arthur escorted the three to the tent, but upon their approach Charlie poked his head back and called out to his dad that the other three had gotten back, but he didn't know where the others were.**

They all released a sigh of relief. They hadn't exactly been worried for their safety, but it was good nothing had happened none the less.

**Arthur sighed in relief as he entered the tent, and Harry spotted all three of the eldest Weasley's sporting bloody injuries.**

Harry's tone was already pitching in surprise, but he read out

**Bill had a sheet to his arm where it was quickly turning red, Charlie had a large tear in his shirt, and Percy was trying to stop a bloody nose.**

all of the injuries before he asked, "what could have happened to them?"

"Probably some of the Death Eaters shot some spells back," Remus sighed. "Either that or the riot got a little more hands on then wands."

**The twins and Ginny weren't harmed, but looked white with shock. Bill asked if his Dad had caught whoever had done the Mark?**

"Well Bill at least knows what it is," James muttered to himself, thankful that it clearly wasn't going to be erased from history what was going on now. He'd be satisfied if only the older type of kids knew about it then.

**Arthur said they hadn't, but instead explained that they'd found Crouch's elf holding Harry's wand, which had been used to make the Dark Mark. They still had no idea who'd done it.**

"That about summed it all up, yeah," Lily sighed, running a hand through her hair in agitation.

"Was a lot more bloody traumatizing to hear about it," James grumbled.

**All of them yelped in surprise, Fred repeating the part about Harry's wand, while Percy in response to Crouch's elf.**

"I can't decide who more deserved what was caught on," Remus snorted.

"Fred," Sirius said instantly, knowing he'd happily side with the twins then their immediate older brother any day.

**The four who were present explained more fully the entire situation, and when they were done, Percy swelled with indignation.**

"I'll agree with you now," Remus rolled his eyes.

**Saying Crouch had been perfectly correct in his actions! Hermione snapped at him at once, causing Percy to take a step back in surprise. She and Percy usually got along pretty well, better then with his own brothers most days.**

"Well that's just sad," Lily frowned slightly, always having suspected Percy didn't get along with his brothers very well, but for an outsider of the family like Hermione to so obviously be doing a better job, really got to her in that moment.

**He pulled himself together quickly though and said that Crouch couldn't be seen going easy on an elf running amok with a wand.**

"Run amok?" Sirius repeated in disbelief. "I'm still confounded what Crouch did, blowing that out of proportion. Though I guess I'm not that surprised Percy's agreeing with his boyfriend," he finished with a rude little curl of his nose.

**Hermione shouted back that Winky hadn't done anything, but Ron butted in saying that he still wanted that Mark explained. Hermione turned on him and said that was You-Know-Who's symbol, something she'd read about in a book.**

"Of course she did," Lily snorted, that felt like Hermione's answer to everything.

**Arthur quietly added on it hadn't been seen in over thirteen years, it made perfect sense why people had panicked, it felt like seeing You-Know-Who back. Ron was still frowning though, saying it was just a symbol. Arthur tried again, telling that this mark was left over people who You-Know-Who had killed.**

Causing the four around Harry to shiver, leading him to wonder and smother the question all at once who they'd found this mark hovering over. He decided he didn't want to know.

**Trying to explain how much fear it instilled in people, coming home to your house and seeing that, knowing the very worst was inside...**

Lily paled to the color of new snow, cuddling her baby all the closer to her.

Remus and James winced like they'd just been socked in the gut, but Sirius had the worst reaction. He'd lived that nightmare vividly in his dreams the previous night, coming over to find James and Lily...the only reason that mark had been absent was because no one was left alive to cast it...coupled together with the one responsible for it. He made a keening noise, shaking his head violently to get rid of that. He kept seeing it every time he closed his eyes, no need to dwell on it when he could give an unconvincing smirk to them now that he was just fine and could play this off as long as he dared.

**it was everyone's worst fear.**

"Okay, I'm appeased, Ron and Harry get it now," James murmured, deciding he'd never complain again about something Harry didn't know involving this type of thing.

**There was a thick silence in the tent before Bill finally spoke up again, saying that whoever had cast it tonight had done them at least one favor. It scared the Death Eaters away, they all Disapparated the moment they saw it, and they'd only just caught the Roberts in time.**

Giving them all a sigh of relief again. They had not forgotten what had started this whole mess, and it was a very good thing that Bill hadn't mentioned they'd been injured.

**Explaining they were having their memories fixed now.**

"Best thing that can happen to them," Remus gave a sad shake to his head, wanting to strangle every last one of those Death Eaters all over again at the thought of those poor Muggles suffering through that.

**Harry repeated back the term Death Eaters in surprise, and Bill said that's what You-Know-Who's followers had called themselves. The ones they'd seen tonight were those who'd wriggled themselves out of Azkaban. Arthur tried to say there wasn't any proof it was them,**

"Who else would it be?" Sirius asked, wishing to mock, but the tone wouldn't come as he would have been glad for an alternate answer.

**but then relented it probably was. Ron perked up then, telling everyone what Malfoy had said to them about his Dad being out there. Harry then asked what was the point of doing that to those Muggles.**

'Please stay that naive forever' Lily mentally sighed, brushing her baby's hair from his forehead for just a moment, as a reminder that scar wasn't there yet. While she never wanted it to, it was clear how much fiction that dream was since Harry hadn't even asked this now. He hadn't questioned this terrible act, even at his regrowing pace of learning he was already so much more aware of the crueler side of the world then Lily would ever wish her child to know.

**Arthur looked sadly at Harry as he said the point had been for fun. What those Death Eaters had done tonight was their idea of entertainment. Ron then asked if those were You-Know-Who's supporters, why would they run at the sight of You-Know-Who's symbol? Shouldn't they have been happy? Bill told Ron to use his head,**

"I thought it was a fair question," Harry said with a shrug, as he'd been wanting to ask it as well, but wondering if Ron would for him since he'd had a similar face to what Harry was feeling at the time.

**explaining those Death Eaters were the ones who'd gone out of their way to denounce and say You-Know-Who had forced them to do all of that. They'd be as afraid as anyone if You-Know-Who came back, they'd have some retribution to pay.**

Sirius gave a twisted little smirk that honestly scared the others, they didn't really want to know what his mind had jumped to, but it wasn't hard to picture either. One Death Eater in particular stuck out to all of them now, picturing that pathetic little rat and his hatred of being returned to his master. Those other loose Death Eaters would probably get much the same treatment if they ever found out any remnant of Voldemort existed. Not that they hoped this at all, the less people out helping Voldemort, willingly or not, the better.

**Hermione then asked of the person who had shown the Dark Mark tonight, had they done it in support, or to scare off those Death Eaters?**

"My guess is a combination of the two," Lily offered with a small frown, still hating to linger on this subject, but that was a good question. "They'd be showing off that they were winning, but warning it was time to go as well."

"I'm still trying to shake the feeling it wasn't left over a dead body," Remus shuddered, "and that individual wasn't doing some old time celebrating of his own."

"Thank you Sunshine," James groaned.

"That one was terrible," Sirius snorted in true amusement again. "I never understood why you tried to pitch an opposite of our nicknames that day."

"Thought it added an extra layer of mystery," James shrugged, managing to return the smile.

**Arthur sighed her guess was as good as anyone's. Then he ushered they should all try to get some shuteye before they went out soon to grab a Portkey. Harry crawled back into his bed, but this time no Quidditch fantasies came to mind to help him relax. He instead let his mind spin back, to three days ago when his scar had awoken him with a burning pain. Now tonight, Voldemort's mark had appeared again. What did it all mean?**

Lily's teeth started chattering as she huddled into herself, keeping her baby wrapped protectively in her arms and never wanting to let go. None of them had put those two things together until just now, but Harry was right, and they couldn't have felt worse about it.

'Nothing good' was the one thought that ran through all of their minds for his thought, and yet none of them could bear to say it in hopes they were wrong.

**He thought of the letter he had written to Sirius, would he have gotten it yet?**

For the first time since this had started, James felt no spike of jealousy in hearing Harry's first thought of help flit to Sirius. He'd happily take the idea Sirius was out there worrying about Harry like this.

James decided right then he wanted more than anything for Harry to work out with Dumbledore and the Weasleys that he'd in fact gotten a new dog and it would be with him at all times now! He'd take every minor annoyance in the world from his brother if he could have some more reassurances Harry would just be that little more safe.

**Harry hoped he'd get a reply soon, and was left wondering on these things the rest of the night.**

Harry gave one last deep sigh of discontent, already longing for that happy mood of the last chapter as he gave the book to Remus.

* * *

*I recognized Harry should have questioned this long before now, it has been mentioned many times before, but even I forget sometimes Harry shouldn't have some knowledge that seems obvious. Can't go back and fix it now, just put all previous mentions of them not being questioned by Harry down to the fact that he worked it out himself considering the light they were being discussed in.

**No, really though, did anyone else besides me read this moment and think 'Horror movie alert' Harry is officially the dumb blonde of the series.


	10. MAYHEM AT THE MINISTRY

Guest Peyton asked: are the chapters not titled because it's a side effect of Harry's memory problem or is it because it's considered copyright?

I'm not actually sure if using the chapter titles is copyright, but I don't personally use them because I feel like it spoils too much. Take for example The Dark Mark, if they'd read that at the beginning chapter title, they would have known to expect it the whole time and it would have ruined the whole big reveal of the chapter. I like to keep the suspense as long as I can get away with it.

Thank you all as always for your endless support of this fic, and no spoilers but, Oh My God The Cursed Child!

* * *

Remus did not look pleased one little bit about accepting the book. He hated how they'd grown almost content, getting so many pleasant chapters in a row and then the huge finale of the Cup, just to have such a terrible one right after. He was terrified the trend would continue, but being afraid of something had never actually stopped him from doing anything, let alone in regards to a book, so he kept going.

**Arthur woke them all very early the next morning, packed down the tents with magic, and only gave a vague wave to Mr. Roberts as they passed, while he called out a cheerful 'Merry Christmas!'**

Lily's mind flickered back to her earlier worry that to many memory charms couldn't be good for him, and to have something so powerful taken away as well, oh she really hoped he would be okay.

**Mr. Weasley spotted Harry's concerned look and promised he would be fine, some people got a little hazy with such a large memory being altered. When they reached the sight to collect their Portkey, there was already a huge queue all clamoring to get out of there at once.**

"Cannot blame them," Remus sighed.

**Arthur managed to get his way to the front, have a quick conversation with Basil, and returned back with a Portkey to take them home.**

"Least they didn't have to wait on the Diggory's," Sirius sniffed.

**They walked back down the hill with little spirit, to tired to do much of anything, but were all caught off guard by a shrill voice shouting in gratitude they'd returned.**

"Molly," they all muttered in surprise, considering the time it was a wonder she was awake, but even more surprising was that this reaction meant she knew what had happened already.

Upon reflection though, the four of them weren't that surprised, the Daily Prophet was known for staying on top of the news, though not always in the best light.

**Molly was sprinting up the drive towards the lot of them, colliding first with her husband and dropping her newspaper in the process, which fell to the ground letting Harry read the title explaining that terror had happened at the Cup, including a photo of the Dark Mark. Mrs. Weasley was still sobbing into her husband's shoulder, but quickly turned watery eyes to check and make sure all were still present, before her eyes caught sight of the twins and she latched an arm around each neck and pulled them in, crashing their heads together.**

"Ooh," Lily sighed, completely understanding why she'd feel particularly awful for those two.

"Think now would be a good time to drop the bomb they won a gambling bet," Sirius smiled weakly, "I don't think they'd get in quite as much trouble for it."

Lily shot him a look, but as his joking tone hadn't quite smothered his own happiness at the scene, she didn't say anything.

**The twins tried to protest their treatment, but Molly kept crying into them now that she felt terrible the last thing she'd done before they'd left was yell about their O.W.L.'s!**

"This is really sweet," Remus smiled widely without a trace a humor.

"Bet it only lasts a day before they find some new way to tick her off," James chuckled, not really able to pick up his own poking fun at the situation.

**Arthur finally managed to detach his wife from her kids and convince her to come inside so he could explain things to her, muttering at Bill as he passed to grab that paper so he could read it. Once Mrs. Weasley had calmed, Arthur did indeed read the print and found it full of the wrongdoings on the Ministry's part at the Cup.**

"All the standard tosh of the paper," Sirius snorted.

**He demanded of no one who had written it, then seemed to catch sight of the name Rita Skeeter.**

Harry felt a vile shot of annoyance at once, a scowl appearing when he heard that name, but it was diminished as always when Remus kept reading so he chose not to pay it any attention.

**Percy at once jumped in at how furious that woman made him, how she'd gone on about his useless report and had instead been trying to say they should be out hunting down vampires, going on to list the Guideline specifically explaining why this wasn't even a thing, when Bill cut him off by politely asking him to shut up.**

Causing all four boys to crack up laughing, they were all liking Bill more and more as this kept on.

**Mr. Weasley hadn't even been listening and had kept at the paper, stating in surprise he'd been refrence. Mrs. Weasley choked on her tea in shock, saying she hadn't seen that, and Arthur quickly corrected it hadn't been by name, just his passing comment saying that nothing had happened that night.**

"There was no more information to give," Lily scoffed.

**Rita Skeeter had added her own thoughts to that saying it probably wouldn't be enough to squash the rumors about bodies later being removed, causing Arthur to scoff that now she'd said that there certainly would be rumors.**

"Why do I get the feeling Arthur has previous experience with this writer?" Sirius asked.

"She certainly sounds more like a tabloid then a reporter," Remus grumbled.

**Arthur gave one last heavy sigh before telling his family he'd have to run into the office because of this. Percy agreed he'd come, he could hand Crouch his report on cauldron bottoms in person.**

"I'm sure that'll be the highlight of his day," James sneered.

**Percy sprinted up the stairs without another word, while Molly tried to protest Arthur's leaving, saying he'd just gotten home, and this had nothing to do with his department. Arthur gently corrected her he may have made things worse.**

"No one in the Ministry would know it was Arthur who said that," Lily arched a brow in surprise. "This Rita person could have pulled that comment out of the air."

"Arthur really doesn't have a reason to feel so responsible," James nodded in agreement, "he didn't do anything wrong."

**Arthur left for a quick change of clothes, and Harry couldn't hold in the question anymore of whether he'd gotten mail while he was away.**

They all eagerly shut their trap in hopes Molly would say yes to that one.

**Molly distractedly said nothing had come in.**

Then they started to get a little fidgety, all eyes flickering to Sirius and away. Sirius tried for a scoff, scolding all of them, "oh relax, just because I haven't responded already," he hesitated for a moment, wavering and trying to come up with a reason for himself, before asking Harry, "how long did it usually take me to reply?"

"Less than two weeks," Harry gave a shrug he didn't really feel.

"See," Sirius really did relax back this time. "I haven't even gotten his letter yet, are you lot really going to be freaking out the day I'm late?"

'Yes' was the collective mental answer all of them had, but none of them bothered to answer him aloud. They'd take the paranoia and be wrong with relief every time than think for even a second Sirius had been captured, none of them could stand another year like the last one.

**Harry's two friends looked curiously at him, and he heavily suggested he go dump his stuff in Ron's room. Ron and Hermione agreed that would be a good idea and came along.**

"Absolutely subtle," Sirius started to snicker, then switched to scowling at his two friends when they wouldn't quite watching him with unease. If they didn't lighten up he was going to have to start doing something drastic.

**They waited until they reached the privacy of Ron's room before demanding of Harry what that had been about, and he finally told them of his scar hurting a few days ago. Their reactions were near perfect to how Harry had predicted them.**

"It's good you know your friends so well," James muttered, finally turning away from Sirius. He wasn't done worrying about him yet, and frankly he wouldn't be until his name was cleared, but at least this was a mildly entertaining distraction.

**Ron began demanding to know that You-Know-Who hadn't been around Harry this time, right?**

Lily really did start laughing at that. Harry's spot on imaginary Ron had been perfect.

**Harry agreed he was sure no one was there who shouldn't be, but it was strange. His dream had been about Wormtail,**

Remus managed to spit out that name with the same amount of contempt he would have with the word Mudblood, or werewolf, or a number of things he wished he'd never in his life have to mention again.

**saying he couldn't clearly remember details anymore, but they'd been talking about murdering...someone.**

"I get the feeling they could have filled in that blank," James mumbled, wiggling just that little bit closer to his son no matter how stupid he may have deemed it in retrospect.

**He hadn't been able to say the word 'me' because Hermione looked more than terrified enough.**

Lily was doing a remarkable reenactment of that expression now, and she had the knowledge Harry was going to be fine. It was still making Harry feel just as bad for his mum as his friend, but was unable to help sooth either of them.

**Ron tried to comfort all of them it had just been a nightmare though, nothing to worry about, but Harry disagreed. Stating how odd these coincidences were, his scar had hurt, and three days later Voldemort's sign appeared in the sky.**

"Why, why on earth can't we just have one year where we don't even have to mention Voldemort's name?" Remus groused.

"Because my life would be too boring otherwise," Harry muttered.

**Ron snapped at Harry not to say You-Know-Who's real name, but Harry ignored him as always. Reminding them of Trelawney's prediction last year.**

"Haven't been able to forget it yet, but thanks for the reminder," Sirius muttered, that prophecy had nearly been his undoing, and even when he'd found out it hadn't related to him it was not a pleasant look back.

**That finally distracted Hermione from her fear, giving a huffy laugh at Harry for believing anything she said.**

"You never told them she made a real prophecy?" James asked in surprise.

"Never got around to it," Harry shrugged, giving Sirius an absent nudge as he said, "had some other stuff on my mind that night, and then I was trying to forget about it there at the end."

Sirius though had something much more entertaining to say as he gave his best friend a superior smirk and demanded, "so you do admit prophecies are real now?"

"Can't hardly deny it when Harry had one smacked in his face," Remus sighed, already being able to tell where this was headed by Sirius' pompous tone.

"Then you owe me years of apologizes for calling me a loon in believing in them," Sirius crowed, his smile stretching wider every second as he glanced from one friend to the other. "Go on, I want to hear you say it now. Prophecies exist!"

"Oh knock it off Snuffles," Harry sighed, for some reason the idea of Sirius talking about this was setting him on edge, but even as he finished he ended on a pained hiss and went cross eyed, trying to understand why he'd call Sirius that. After blinking away a few bright spots, he saw he wasn't the only one.

"Now why would you know that name?" Remus asked first. "I only called him that a half a dozen times, back in our fourth year."

"I've never heard this one," James raised an even more surprised brow at his two friends.

Sirius shrugged with nonchalant as he said, "it was during our Christmas break, and I got a head cold. Kept sneezing and body parts kept randomly turning into a dog, we didn't master our transformations until fifth year," Sirius added on for Harry. "Remus kept laughing about it every time and started calling me Snuffles all week. By the time you," he broke off with an old wince at the fact he couldn't add on the other name without substituting a swear word, "got back, the joke had died off."

Harry nodded in understanding, but none of this answered their original question, why on earth Harry would know any of that. The whole matter had successfully distracted both Sirius and Harry though, so Remus decided to keep reading now while he still could.

**Harry defended the Divination teacher though, saying it had definitely been a real prediction this time, even quoting the parts about the Dark Lord's return, reminding the end results had been Wormtail's escape that night.**

Now Remus regretted it and wanted to go back to admitting Sirius had been right about something, it was certainly easier to stomach then thinking on _that_. Through a red haze he glanced up and saw the other four were a mask of boiling hatred again, so Remus collected himself and put on the most tragic face he could muster as he said, "alright Padfoot, I admit, you were right about prophecies. Never again shall I argue with your unending knowledge, about this," he quickly tacked on, already knowing he was going to regret giving in the moment Sirius attempted to replace his bloodlust with a satisfied smirk. It didn't really work, his jaw was still clenched too tightly for the expression to look natural, but the fact he even attempted a smile made it feel worth it to Remus.

**No one could think of anything else to add until Hermione again asked about Hedwig. Harry said he'd written a letter to Sirius asking about this, and Ron agreed at once that was a great idea, he'd have an answer for them.**

"Why on earth would they think that?" James demanded at once, far more up for pestering his best mate then giving in to him. "You hardly know the difference between Devil's Snare and Mandrakes."

"Oi," Sirius hooted. "What's those evil little plants got to do with knowing about this Dark stuff? I know plenty about that, more than you."

James looked like he was about to keep pressing in, with a highly amused audience of Remus and Harry, but Lily gave Remus a hard nudge and waved him on, still wanting to get through this chapter more then watch them snip at each other no matter how much it made her feel better.

**Harry agreed, though expressed he was worried he'd thought Sirius would reply by now. Hermione reminded they had no idea how far away he was, it would take longer than just three days. Harry agreed with a heavy sigh.**

James kept his superior expression in place even as that feeling of jealousy returned, still wishing in vain he could have replaced that sentence with his own name.

**Ron quickly changed the subject by offering Harry to come play Quidditch, he knew all of his brothers would join in, and Harry could try the Wronski Feint.**

"Oh that's a brilliant idea," Lily sighed, "because one life or death experience isn't enough for you in a twenty-four hour period."

"Stop exaggerating Lily," Sirius snickered, "Quidditch is good for him, helps him work out the nerves."

**Hermione snapped at him in a 'I-don't-think-you're-being-very-sensitive sort of voice'**

"I get the feeling she has to use that voice often," Remus chuckled.

**by saying Harry didn't want to play Quidditch now,**

"Oh yes he does," Harry laughed, the idea of trying out that move again now still present.

**that he should want to go to bed, but Harry interrupted that a game sounded fun.**

"Best to cut her off before she could keep going like that," James snickered, "she'd be tucking you into bed before you knew it."

**He went rummaging for his Firebolt as Hermione stomped out muttering about 'boys.'**

"I'm sure there were some other things mixed in there," Lily rolled her eyes, on complete agreement with Hermione on that.

**The narrative jumps in by saying that for the next week, neither Percy nor Arthur were home much. Percy could be heard saying over dinner the Sunday before they were due back at school how the place was in an uproar in a pompous, superior tone.**

"I swear that's the description you give after everything he says," Sirius snorted.

"And he doesn't deserve it one bit," Remus agreed.

**People kept sending Howlers complaining of what all had happened, and wanting reimbursement for their stuff. One Mundungus Fletcher was wanting compensation for his twelve-bedroom tent that had been destroyed, but Percy knew for a fact he'd been sleeping under his own cloak.**

"What an idiot," Lily scoffed, "did he really think he could get away with that?"

"I've heard of stupider things he's tried," James shrugged.

Unlike before, where he'd still felt to unsure to hardly even speak up, Harry had no qualms this time inserting himself into the conversation and asking, "how do you guys know him?" In hopes to ease some of the pressure in his skull telling him he should know that name anyways.

"He's an old friend of Dumbledore's," Remus shrugged, "does a lot of things for the Order most members either can't, or won't, do because they don't have the same ah, connections."

"Friend is putting it lightly," Sirius snorted. "Dumbledore keeps bailing him out from the stupider crimes he gets caught doing, so Mundungus does whatever he asks." Then he turned to Harry and put much more bluntly, "he's a criminal, never made an honest living in his life, but he's pretty fun to have around. Dung's always been good for a laugh, and he can get you some really cheap things most won't normally go after."

"You are not endearing me," Harry finally laughed to show he'd gotten the message. All of this helped somewhat, he was now quite sure this was the same way he knew the same man, but there was still something missing. A connection he was sure he had to the name, but of course that wouldn't come to him.

**Molly was not paying attention to the conversation, glancing repetitively at the clock where all of the Weasley family's names had replaced the hands, and instead of numbers it indicated such things as work, traveling, or home,**

"I love that," Lily said instantly, her eyes brightening with want.

"I wonder how they got ahold of that," James ruffled up his brow thoughtfully, his mind already spinning with the idea he'd like to recreate that for his family, that nasty little pang reminding him of the count of hands he'd have now rather than if he'd heard about this just a week ago.

"It was an anniversary present for Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, "I think Mr. Weasley made it, though I have no idea how."

"Fascinating," Lily said honestly, adding this to her growing list of things she had a mind to say to the Weasleys when she planned to meet them in person.

"I do wonder though," Remus said with some surprise, "why she was so worried about her family if she had that. It would have said whether anything bad had happened to them."*

"There's a difference in a clock telling you, and seeing them in person," Lily said mildly.

"Besides," Sirius shrugged, "considering the time they arrived back, I'll bet you she just saw that paper and sprinted out the back to wait, I don't think that would have crossed her mind till later, and they came back soon enough she didn't have time to check."

**as well as lost, hospital, prison,**

Lily couldn't help but snort, thinking 'oh that's lovely.'

**and, mortal peril.**

"Sounds handy," Sirius snickered.

"That's where your hand would be all year," Lily shot back.

Sirius went wide eyed and pressed his hand to his heart as he cooed at her, "awe, Lily, you'd put my name up there?"

"Don't flatter yourself," she tried to say with a straight face, though the effect was ruined by her twitching lips.

**All of the hands but Arthur's currently pointed at home, while his was at work. Mrs. Weasley gave a heavy sigh as she said to no one in particular that he hadn't been working this much since the time of You-Know-Who.**

"Why would Mr. Weasley's job be involved in that?" Harry asked in surprise. "If he just informs people about what Muggle stuff is?"

Lily wasn't a hundred percent sure herself, as she'd personally never even spoken to Arthur in real life, and only had a vague idea of where his office even was in the Ministry, but she knew for a fact she had to send owls down there all the time for other things besides just what a Muggle object was so she offered, "it's a bit more then that dear. I don't think you quite realize how often wizards, mistakenly or not, involve themselves in Muggle affairs. Whatever any department does, Arthur would have to make sure to check it over and make sure it doesn't interfere with anything to do with Muggles. This Dark Mark business," Lily heaved a huge sigh in sympathy for the Ministry falling into even a portion of the pandemonium it was on a daily basis to her in this timeline, "it causes all sorts of mayhem at the Ministry to keep that sort of thing under wraps from the Muggles no matter how far away they were. All those wizards panicking and fleeing the scene for instance, apparating away in their panic and landing in Muggle neighborhoods for instance, could have shocked any number of them, you see where I'm going?" She finished with an expectant look.

Harry nodded in understanding, his sympathy for the Weasley patriarch suddenly doubling.

**Saying his job was working him to hard, and his dinner would be ruined by the time he got here. Percy said that his father had brought this on himself with his mistake.**

James mouth opened with a little pop as he gasped, "is Percy really agreeing with the Ministry over his own father with that nonsense?"

"What a little prat," Sirius nodded with a heavy scowl in place.

**Saying he shouldn't have said anything until he'd spoken with his Head of Department about the press,**

"He is the Head of his Department," Remus snapped, stunned that he was defending Arthur from one of his own kids. Bloody hell, he remembered this random snap of information from when Ron had said it two books ago! How could Percy be acting like this?

Lily had always had the most sympathy for Percy, she found his position in the family more sad than annoying like the rest of the boys seemed to, but even she was getting a little fiery over the way he was acting now, there was no excuse of taking your jobs side over your family's.

Harry's thoughts were in perfect alignment with his mother's, wondering why on earth all of this Percy talk felt like a bad omen.

**but Molly cut him off with a snap that Percy was not going to sit there and blame his father for whatever Skeeter had caused! Bill agreed with his mother, saying if their dad hadn't said anything, Skeeter would have just said no one at the Ministry had bothered to give a comment, all while keeping his eyes on the chessboard he was playing with Ron on.**

That was a quick distraction, all of them vividly remembering the last time Ron had been mentioned playing chess, at least this time the pieces weren't life sized.

Harry gave a happy smile at this, saying, "Bill was the only one who could play Ron and actually be a threat to him."

**Still going on to say that she didn't like anyone, she'd done some interviews of the Curse Breakers once, and she'd called him a 'long-haired pillock.'**

"Well this woman's just getting more and more charming," Remus scoffed.

**Molly couldn't seem to help herself as she did agree it was getting a bit long, but Bill cut her off with a quick no.**

"I get the feeling that must be a daily occurrence," Sirius snorted, brushing his hair out of his own face.

**Rain was pouring down outside, the cozy little scene in the living room displaying all of them sitting around in comfort working on something. Charlie was currently tending a fireproof balaclava,**

"Why would he need to fix a fireproof anything?" Harry asked in surprise, having been too invested in his own project at the time to ask.

"It can still get worn out even when it's not set on fire," Lily shrugged, "I'm sure Charlie has to do that on his own all the time, considering how little he's home."

**Harry was polishing his Firebolt, and the twins were off in the corner muttering over a piece of paper.**

"Subtle," James snorted, thinking they'd at least have the sense to make more order forms outside of their mother's point of view.

"I think they're just asking for another argument," Remus nodded.

**Molly seemed to notice this at the same time as Harry, as she snapped at her twins what they were up to? Fred responded at once with homework.**

"Right," Sirius exaggerated the word to the extreme.

**Mrs. Weasley scolded they were still on holiday, and George agreed they'd just left it a bit late.**

"Now that I'll believe," Lily snorted.

**She was still glaring at them as she demanded to know if those were more to do with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?**

"Can't restart what they never gave up on," Remus smirked, as clearly no matter what their mother said, those two had this in the works for some time.

**Fred turned hurt filled eyes on her, reminding that if the Hogwarts express crashed tomorrow and they died, did she really want to pick an argument with them about this?**

Lily gave a small sigh, she didn't really think it was right to pick on their mother for that reaction she'd had, but it didn't erase her own laughter blending in with the boys at their picking.

**Even Mrs. Weasley laughed at her son's picking, but then she quickly turned to excitement when she saw Arthur's hand finally switch from traveling, and then seconds later, home. She was already bustling towards the kitchen before Arthur could call out, and he came into the living room looking haggard. He picked listlessly at his meal as the told those around him that Skeeter was still causing all kinds of problems, now she'd found out about Bertha and that was going to be another Ministry blunder headline. Percy agreed Crouch had said weeks ago someone should go looking for her.**

"Did he really need to add that?" Sirius muttered, fighting down the compulsion more with every line he spoke to smack Percy.

**Arthur grumbled back they were just lucky Skeeter didn't know about Crouch's involvement with that Dark Mark business, that would be a headline for weeks.**

"If that did happen, his grounds of clothing his elf would make a bit more sense," Sirius quirked a brow in surprise, "so I guess if you think about it, he was just doing that preemptively."

"I cannot believe you're really going back and saying that was okay," Lily balked at him.

Sirius rolled his eyes at her and said, "What? I still think they were over the line treating her like that, but we all know Crouch has such a large stick up his arse it's not really surprising he'd think that way. If you consider the way he is now, I wouldn't be surprised one little bit the second something Dark is connected to his name he'd throw it to the wolves."

"You're depressing me," Lily sighed, slumping back into the couch without argument for that.

Harry was getting a bubbling feeling in his gut, something in him telling him Sirius was very close to the mark and none of them realized it, but of course he couldn't begin to imagine details of what this was.

**Percy was getting a temper now as he said everyone here had agreed Crouch had nothing to do with that!**

James scoffed as he snapped, "I wouldn't be surprised if Percy just said that and no one argued with him. While yes he's right," he rolled his eyes, "you don't need to go shouting at them for it."

**Hermione shot back Crouch was lucky the Prophet didn't know how he treated elves!**

Sirius couldn't help a surprised little snort of laughter, that's what Hermione had caught on? No one else would bat an eye at that part.

**Percy sighed at her, trying to defend his boss that such a man couldn't have disobedient servants, but Hermione hotly cut him off and corrected slave!**

"Eh," James waved his hand vaguely, "I think Hermione's exaggerating the term a bit."

"I don't," Lily snapped at once. The more she heard about this, the more she was kicking herself for never having looked farther into this. "What's so different with house-elves, and treating people that same way?"

"The practice of house-elves being attached to wizarding families goes back centuries," Sirius rolled his eyes, "it's practically as common as wizards themselves."

"Just because it's old and traditional doesn't make it right," Lily ground out. "You're saying that these beings that are clearly as human as Remus shouldn't be treated the same."

"Hey," Remus yelped, "don't drag me into this." His eyes were getting wider the longer this dragged on, he actually began edging away from Lily as he sensed a true fight coming on and he did not want to be in the middle of this.

Sirius was clearly getting angry now, his glare actually holding some real threats of violence if she kept this up, she shouldn't have dragged Remus into this! His voice came out more of a growl now, "that's not fair and you know it. Don't you take a shot at him when they're two completely different things."

"How?" Lily insisted, her eyes narrowing clearly showing she wasn't going to back down one bit. "You tell me how treating something as lesser than you as a slave isn't that far off the mark how werewolves are treated, like a pariah."

"OKAY!" James finally got out louder than them. The baby in Lily's lap, already squirming in agitation at all of the raised voices, actually began wailing then, causing Lily to break away her glare and begin soothing her son, admittedly still more flushed than usual. James wasn't looking much better himself, alternately scowling at his wife for making Remus clearly so uncomfortable, and Sirius refusing to back down and just let the matter go. "You two knock it off, there's no since acting like this towards each other. Let Remus finish this chapter, then you two can have it out somewhere where we don't have to hear it."

Lily finally convinced baby Harry to stop crying by then, sitting back into her seat, and still throwing haughty looks at Sirius, which he was returning. Harry and his father exchanged an uneasy look, James had been hoping that someone cutting them off would make one of them admit it was time to let this go but that clearly wasn't the case. Remus still looked a little shell-shocked, but at a nod from James he decided to keep going.

**Reminding that Winky hadn't been paid. Molly cut into the argument by telling her children to go upstairs and make sure everything was packed.**

'I should take notes' Harry mentally thought, still frowning at all four of them. He'd seen them argue before, and he never liked to watch it.

**Harry got to his feet and followed Ron up to his room, where Pigwidgeon set up a flutter when they came in. Ron threw him an owl treat to get him to shut up, and Harry watched the little owl with worry as he said it had been over a week since he'd seen his own.**

"You said yourself she normally takes twice that long," James sighed, running his hand through his hair in agitation, as if he needed another thing to worry about.

"Well yeah, but I don't know. I was kind of hoping since this one was kind of urgent, he'd find a way to get a reply quicker," Harry offered with a shrug.

**Harry then asked Ron with real worry if Sirius had been captured.**

Lily's skin tone went back to normal, and then a few shades paler in shock. This was not the first, nor certainly the last, time she'd been ticked off at Sirius for some careless comment he made, but she was suddenly struck once again by this horrid future they were listening to and realizing these little spats they had may be numbered. It didn't completely erase her agitation towards him, but it certainly made the want of cursing him lessen.

Remus flinched as he got that out, but Sirius quickly jumped in and soothed them all with a smug smile, "oh please, those numbskulls couldn't find the broad side of a barn. There's no way they're going to find me."

"You're confidence is instilling," James muttered, unable entirely to stop his leg twitching in agitation.

**Ron scoffed at the idea, saying that news would be plastered all over the papers.**

"And there's that," Harry sighed, trying to show that had comforted him a lot more than it had. He really didn't like to think of Sirius being captured, it set him on edge in the worst way, though thankfully he wasn't getting any kind of feeling about this. So this must mean it never happened to him, right?

**Harry agreed for now, and went about packing away his stuff, most of which were his new school books and some supplies Mrs. Weasley had gotten him while he was away, grateful she'd remembered his potion ingredients as he'd been running low on some.**

Lily just couldn't seem to erase a frown from her face this chapter, the expression only increasing as she got her own shot of envy at Molly doing all of this for her son. She'd have loved nothing more than for the simple task of going to Diagon Alley for her son while he and his father went to that Cup, and this little reminder it had been someone else smarted more than she'd been expecting it to with her current mood.

**Ron was at his own trunk, and made a disgusted noise of surprise as he pulled out a maroon dress with lacy cuffs.**

That was such a random thing that Remus finally broke the bad vibe of the room with a snort of mirth, all five of them cracking a real smile at Ron for some deranged reason being handed a lacy dress-robe.

**Molly entered at that moment with some last minute clothes for them, and Ron tried to hand the dress to her, saying he'd gotten something of Ginny's by mistake, but Molly corrected that it was for Ron, his new dress robes. Ron yelped in shock, and Molly said that's what their school supplies list had said they'd need this year.**

"Wonder why," James said just a tad too loudly, hoping to keep on this laughing mood as long as possible. "Think Hogwarts is hosting a dance?"

Harry felt a buzz ring through him, somehow knowing his dad wasn't too far off, but also getting the impression it wasn't an event he was fond of.

"I think it would be a nice idea," Lily couldn't help a little smile now, warming to the idea the more she spoke. "Perhaps a Valentine's day thing, I always said Hogwarts should indulge in more school events."

"From memory, every time they've tried, it's been a disaster," Remus snickered. "I've heard tale of this one time they tried a school play over some fairytale novel, that didn't end well."

"Won't know until Harry gets there," Sirius cut in, perhaps still being a little more surely then was called for, but still too agitated to admit it.

Lily shot him another glare, she had been trying to play nice, but clearly Remus took that as a hint to move on now while he still could.

**Ron was still balking at the material, stating he'd never wear a thing like this! Molly cut him off by saying everyone wore them, his own father had some.**

"Just like that eh?" James raised a brow in surprise, forcing some good mood at Sirius whether he wanted it or not. "I'd like to see that, I'm sure seeing his father in lace would make Ron feel better."

Harry gave a happy laugh at the image, while Sirius did crack a smile for James benefit.

**Ron grumbled he'd show off his bum before he put that on.**

"That'll be a day at Hogwarts," Remus snickered.

**Mrs. Weasley snapped he was being silly, Harry had gotten some to.**

Causing Sirius to really laugh this time, along with the other three, while Harry went beat red in surprise and fear for what this could mean.

**Harry began digging through his stuff in surprise, but came up with something much closer to his school uniform, except it was dark green.**

"Which is how most dress-robes look," James cackled. "So I don't know what was running through Molly's head with Ron in mind."

The smile trickled off of Lily just a bit though, not having to think hard on why the idea of Molly picking out that for Harry would give her a pang of sadness.

**Ron saw it and snapped why he hadn't gotten something that looked more like that, and Molly couldn't help a faint blush as she said she hadn't a lot of choosing on her budget for Ron's.**

Causing all of them to stop smiling at once. It wasn't so funny now that they realized that.

**Harry looked away in shame, knowing he'd happily split all his money with the Weasleys,**

"Wish I'd just done it, they couldn't argue the point once it's in there," Harry muttered, fidgeting in place.

**but he knew they would never take it.**

"That's why you don't ask permission," James smirked.

**Ron snapped he refused to wear his, and Mrs. Weasley snapped he could just go ahead naked then. Asking Harry to make sure he got a picture, she needed a laugh!**

"It's nice to see Molly with a sense of humor," Sirius sighed.

**She stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her, and at that moment Pigwidgeon began choking on a too large treat. Ron was grumbling that everything he owned was rubbish as he went to go unstick his beak.**

Remus closed the book uneasily, looking between Sirius and Lily like he still expected a bomb to go off, being as clear and silent as he could the chapter was over, then looking longing at the door like he wanted to make a run for it while he could.

* * *

Forewarning you guys now, the next chapter won't actually be a chapter, but an actual argument between Lily and Sirius about the house-elf topic. I set it up to much too just have them keep avoiding it, and since it keeps coming up so much in this book I decided I'd get their views up and as clear as possible now.

Thank you all as always for your endless support of this fic! No spoilers but, Oh My God The Cursed Child! I'm thinking about waiting until the next reading chapter and posting my opinion on it, or do you think that's a little cocky? Do you guys even really care what I think about it?

*Question offered by maana999. If you guys have any questions, even from one of the older books, or just something you'd like to point out and seen discussed, I implore you to say something, I love them all!


	11. House-Elfs

To LionsHeart: I did read your review, I treasure and reread every review I get, and yours caused a nice warm feeling to flush through me and last through the rest of a not very good day. I thank you very much for the kind words!

Warning, this chapter is pure head canon. There's never been any official statement from JK Rowling explaining the House-elf thing, so this is my answer to it. I am not for slavery, I do not approve of owning anything with even a glimmer of human intelligence, and all views I express through the characters do not necessarily reflect my views or opinions on these matters, these are just how I picture these characters talking about this.

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Lily took several deep breaths before starting in a peaceable tone, "alright Sirius, explain to me why this is apparently okay?"

No one needed to ask what she meant, she'd clearly taken James at word and wanted to have a real argument about house-elves with Sirius.

Remus decided to scarper before his name could be tossed around again and muttered something about the baby, plucking him away from Lily and quickly exiting the room. James really wanted to join him, but thought it was best if he sat down and refereed these two. Harry just wanted to know more about this.

Sirius rolled his eyes at her tone, he found it more condescending than neutral, as he snapped, "I don't know how to nicely put this for you Evans-"

"Potter," James quickly corrected, clearly never growing tired of doing so, but both ignored him.

"-but house-elves are stupid. Plain and simple. They can't bleeding do a thing unless they're told, hell they can't even take care of their life long term. Why do you think Dobby came up with all those cockamamie plans? House-elves don't understand the concept of a plan! If they didn't have wizard families telling them what to do, they'd die off at the first sign of danger."

"I don't understand how you can say that," she seethed, already cracks were appearing in her calm facade. "Goblin's aren't treated like that, nor Centaurs or Were-"

At Sirius' peeved look and a warning shake of his head from James, Lily decided to quit with the list and press her point, "have you ever even given them a chance? How the bloody hell do you just _know_ they're that way? Dobby-"

"Is the best example for both points," Sirius cut her off. "They're not all treated like Dobby," Sirius sighed, running his hand through his hair in agitation. Truth be told, he actually didn't get into that many arguments, so he wasn't even sure how to win one. Sure he snipped at his friends on a daily basis, yes he spent the majority of his life telling people what he thought without remorse, but an actual structured disagreement like this was not his forte', plus he wasn't even sure what Lily wanted out of this. He just knew he wanted her to stop glaring at him every time they were mentioned. "In fact most of them are treated fairly well, like mine. Kreacher f'ing adores my Mum and Regulus, he's all too happy to parrot what they say, and do anything they ask. He just hates me because my Mum does, and I don't conform to what she, and by extension he, thinks."

"You mentioned he's been beaten though," Lily wheedled, thinking she'd finally found a way to make Sirius understand. Even if he didn't like his house-elf, surely he must admit that wasn't right.

Sirius though just snorted and waved his hand around without a care, "beaten is an exaggeration, he never even had to do some of the things to himself Dobby did, and they were for stupid little things. Like he was seen during a house party, or he creased my dad's trousers the wrong way. It never went so bad he tried to run away or anything. Plus, my parents are loons who'd beat the wall if it looked like it did something wrong, they shouldn't be the mark of how most are treated." Sirius didn't appreciate that the next expression he registered on Lily was pity, and not for the house-elf that time, but for him, so he kept going just a tad louder, "plus, the Malfoy's aren't any f'ing better. No, most are treated like Winky, and they enjoy their life. You've been down to the kitchens, you know the Hogwarts elves are treated just fine."

Lily sighed as she rubbed at her temple, this wasn't going anywhere, but she wasn't going to stop now that Sirius had spoken the root of her problem. "That's not the point Sirius, just because they're happy doesn't make it right. They've lived their whole lives being that way, so they don't know any better."

"What would you do then?" Sirius snorted. "Outlaw the owning of house-elves? Force everyone to sack them? You'd cause mayhem woman! House-elves would be losing their minds, and even if by some miracle they didn't all die of shock, any future house-elves wouldn't be any better because all generations would have the same mind set, except now they'd be bitter they couldn't be doing what they were meant to. Think of what Hogwarts alone would be like, the castle would crumble without those elves keeping it up."

Lily fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, she really didn't know where she wanted to go with this, she just couldn't stand the ideas of more Dobby's out there. She'd like to think that wizards were above owning other living things as property, but knowing how some Muggleborns were treated by purebloods, and purebloods were the main cause of her ire against house-elves, she really couldn't see it going in any great way. So instead she gently offered, "well, I still don't see why some laws shouldn't be in place, to at least acknowledge you shouldn't be so cruel to them. There should be standards for their living, punishments shouldn't be so horrid and frequent an elf fears its masters, they should have a voice in the Ministry if they feel they've been wronged just like anything."

Sirius just shrugged, but slouched back to indicate he at least wasn't going to argue that point. He still didn't have any great hate towards the actual species, they'd been friendly enough to him at Hogwarts, but Dobby and Kreacher in particular irked him. Dobby because, well because he'd tried to blow his godson's head off with a Bludger, and he still couldn't forgive that particular transgression no matter the end results. Harry had enough crap going on in his life for a 'friend' to be adding. Sure he'd redeemed himself by attacking Lucius at the end of that year, so he supposed Dobby at least balanced himself out.

Kreacher on the other hand he knew he'd never give two knuts about. All he ever saw in that thing was his parent's ideals. They had always treated Kreacher even better than Sirius, like that stupid thing was a better son then he was. Sirius had never endeared himself to his parents even at a young age, he'd always asked one too many questions and been punished for it, often far worse than some simple transgression the elf would do. As a child, he'd hated Kreacher for the small smiles he'd see his Mum give to the elf because he never got that. The older he got, the more he realized his Mother actually cared more for that thing then her oldest child. Still though, he supposed he wouldn't want his agitation at that vile little thing to be put on other elves who didn't deserve it nearly as much.

The other three kept watching him like they expected some revelation to take form in front of them, and Sirius' only response was to smirk. "What? If Lily wants to go on some crusade to save house-elves, I'm not going to stop her. Just wish she'd stop giving me death glares like I'm the one beating them with a stick in the meantime."

Lily wanted to explain that she so often got mad at Sirius because he acted one way, but she knew damn well he was thinking something else. She'd suspected once in awhile his upbringing hadn't been that dissimilar from Harry's honestly, and she hated to think on it. Sirius didn't speak about it much though, he actually kept himself as restrained as Harry around her at least, so she was left to wonder if he wasn't projecting most of his hatred he had at his name onto house-elves. She wanted to ask him about it, but she didn't feel she had the same right. Harry was her son. Whatever Petunia, or by extension Vernon, had done to him she had a right to know. Sirius was just her friend, he should tell whoever he wanted about that type of thing, and she wasn't sure if she asked what kind of answer she'd get.

Nothing had really been resolved between the two, but since they'd said their peace neither looked ready to blow a gasket anymore. James had certainly relaxed back, watching them bicker at each other was certainly more normal to him. Harry though was watching Sirius with interest. He, like Lily, had picked up on some of his comments and was wondering just what Sirius had gone through to hate his own elf so much, and he wanted to ask, but thought he'd be a hypocrite if he did. After all, he hadn't even told what the Dursleys had really done to him.*

They were all saved the trouble from anyone having to say anything else by Remus poking his head back in and saying, "I haven't heard any shouting or limbs being pulled apart yet, is it safe to come back?"

"I don't know," Sirius mockingly rubbed at his jaw as he eyed Lily critically, "Lily's still in the same room with me, and we all know that's a disaster waiting to happen."

Remus gave a snort as he walked back to Lily's side, happily flopping down beside her and cuddling the baby to his chest as he said, "I'll risk it. As it's her turn next, I don't think she can do anything to grievous to you."

* * *

Hope you guys don't think too harshly of me for this chapter. nahte123456 is the one who originally came to this conclusion, but the more I thought about it, the more I really liked it. After all, Hermione eventually quit SPEW. After all those years of passion, she gave up on the idea, and instead just made a standard of living for them. Why did she quit on the idea? She must have learned something new in her own later years that no one would have explained to her. My idea is that she never got into this with Sirius, and Remus wouldn't really know any more about it than Lily because he never looked into it either, so she came to realize what Sirius said on her own in the end. Maybe she did get a few free and realized the end results. Also, sorry it kind of went into a character study on Sirius there at the end...actually no I'm not, I love him too much to apologize for basing a chapter around just him.

Second to last thing, as all of you agreed you would like to hear my thoughts on Cursed Child, that will be in my A/N in the next chapter. Thanks again!

*Sorry guys, I know you're all wanting Harry to share what really happened at the Dursleys, but I have a specific spot in mind (which many of you have guessed already) where that will be shown. Back to actual chapters next time!


	12. ABOARD THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS

I'm glad that my thoughts on Cursed Child ended up at the end of this chapter, because this one in particular doesn't have much else going for it. Hope you still enjoy!

* * *

Before she got started, Lily first turned to Remus and said, "I am sorry for making you uncomfortable dear, I thought you'd be an easy way to get through to Sirius."

"He just gets sensitive," Remus smirked, watching Sirius narrow his eyes at the pair of them, and ignoring the fact that he didn't act much better. "I wasn't offended, I knew you didn't mean anything by it."

Lily smiled warmly at him before turning to her chapter.

**The morning they were returned to school did not start off with a good omen, it was raining. They all tromped down the stairs, but were beaten to the bottom by Arthur who was being shouted at by his wife he had a message. Harry entered the kitchen last and found Mr. Weasley kneeling in front of the fireplace speaking to...he closed his eyes hard then opened them again to make sure he was seeing things properly.**

"Why?" Sirius asked at once, a happy smirk in place as he always enjoyed watching common things amaze Harry.

**Amos Diggory's head was sitting amongst the flames, talking to Arthur.**

"Ah," James joined Sirius in smirking now. As common as Floo travel was to Harry now, he guessed it hadn't occurred to him you didn't always have to go all the way.

**He was saying how someone had caused a real mess with the Muggle policemen, and they needed Arthur's help to handle this. Saying they didn't need Rita Skeeter getting a hold of anything else. Arthur asked what was Mad-Eye's side of the story?**

Remus let out a surprised snort of laughter as he realized Lily, and by extension Arthur, meant that as a name.

"Who on earth goes by the name of Mad-Eye?" Sirius demanded with a wicked grin, clearly indicating he'd like to meet him, and at once silencing Harry who had hopefully been about to ask if they knew that name, as he was sure he did.

"I've no idea," Lily had a faint smile of her own, "but judging by the way Harry's hearing about him, I'm going to take a wild guess he's an interesting one."

**Mr. Diggory rolled his eyes as he explained Mad-Eye had said he'd heard intruders, and tried to set dustbins on them. Arthur asked what the dustbins had done, and Diggory replied they'd made a racket and mostly disturbed some neighbors, they were still moving around when the police showed up.**

Causing all five of them to keep snickering at this scene that was caused. They felt bad for this Mad-Eye who had been attacked, but the idea of dustbins attacking anyone was hilarious.

**Mr. Weasley groaned as he asked about the intruder, and Diggory snorted in disbelief, reminding Arthur that Mad-Eye was known to go off at stray cats wandering around.**

Causing at least the other four to burst into full on laughter, but Harry was starting to get a slight frown. He definitely knew this name now, something about a paranoid old man, being attacked?

**Then he added on that the Improper Use of Magic had their hands full with him, and with his record, well Diggory was hoping that Arthur could possibly get him off on a minor charge, asking what dustbins were worth?**

"Arthur's job just gets more interesting the more I hear about it," Sirius smirked, not at all joking though. He really did find this plenty interesting to hear about, more than he would have expected considering his usual bore on the topic of any Ministry job. Might be worth it to look into at least, he may as well do something with that O he got in his Muggle Studies class.

**Mr. Weasley said hopefully he could get away with a caution, asking if Mad-Eye had used his wand? Diggory said most likely Mad-Eye had lept out of bed and blasted anything outside his window, but since there were no casualties that couldn't really be proven. Arthur agreed he was on his way now and sprinted back up the stairs. Diggory turned his attention to Molly then, apologizing for this, but saying that Arthur was the only one who could do this. Mad-Eye had picked some bad timing, since he was due to start a new job today.**

A buzzing went off in the back of Harry's skull at that, there was that connection he was so sure he'd felt. Why would he know anything about this though? He was about to go off to Hogwarts, what could he care about some random strangers new job?

**Molly shrugged if off and offered the head if he'd like some toast, which he agreed to. Mrs. Weasley grabbed a buttered one from the stack, grasped it in a pair of tongs, and helpfully put it into Mr. Diggory's mouth.**

Which instantly distracted Harry from his pondering and led him to chuckle, asking, "so how does that work?"

"It's pretty simple," Lily shrugged, "you just put your head in instead of your whole body to transport yourself, most useful when you don't want to drop in unannounced."

"It's not too comfortable," James shrugged, "but it's quicker than sending an owl if you just have something to say and be gone."

**He gave a last thanks before he vanished, just as the last three Weasley's arrived along with Mr. Weasley who was dressed and ready to go. He apologized he couldn't take the kids to King's Cross with her, and she waved him off saying to take care of Mad-Eye. Arthur left then, and Bill asked what Mad-Eye had been up to? Mrs. Weasley explained the situation, and George gave a smile as he declared Mad-Eye Moody**

"Moody?" The four from this time repeated in shock.

"Err, yeah, that's what he said," Harry nodded, eagerness growing when he realized this meant something to them. "Why, you know him?"

"Alastor Moody is head of the Auror department," James explained with a ruffled brow. "It may not be the same man though, as I've no idea why he'd go by the name of Mad-Eye."

"Plus, new job," Lily recalled. "I can't imagine what that would relate to him for, either he's still on the job or retired, but I can't imagine him doing anything but hauling in Death Eaters."

Harry sagged in disappointment as he nodded his understanding. He had a good feeling everything they'd just told him shouldn't come as a surprise, that they may even be wrong and they were thinking of the same person, but then what on earth was going on?

**was that nutter- but Mrs. Weasley cut him off reprovingly, saying he was a good friend of their fathers. Fred said under his breath 'birds of a feather.'**

Giving Sirius the chance to give another snort of laughter. He liked Arthur plenty, and didn't find his collection the least bit odd.

**Bill agreed Moody was a great wizard, and Charlie agreed he was an old friend of Dumbledore's.**

"This is getting harder and harder to shake though," Remus' frown deepened. "How many friends of Dumbledore can be named Moody?"

"I guess something really big must happen to him then," James' huffed, casting his mind around in confusion for what the odd nickname could refer to. Hopefully he hadn't gone blind or something, he respected the man to much to want to feel sorrow if he'd gone out like that.

**Fred agreed, but reminded Dumbledore wasn't known for being all there either. A genius sure, but-**

"Well Fred's got a point there," Sirius nodded in agreement.

**Harry interrupted to ask who Mad-Eye is, and Charlie told that he used to work at the Ministry as an Auror**

"Well there you go, can't be anyone else," Lily sighed.

"Hope they tell you what happened to him," James said with deep interest. He was hoping to join the Auror's himself, and he liked to think if he could warn his, hopefully soon, boss of some impending danger it would help his credibility he was serious about joining.

**and had been the best Dark Wizard catcher of his time. Half the cells in Azkaban were filled because of him.**

Sirius couldn't help a deep shudder, never having wanted to think which Auror would have hauled him in off the streets, wondering for the first time if it was even someone he knew now.

**Then he continued that he was on in years now, and seemed to be getting more paranoid with age, thinking all those Dark Wizards were coming back to get him.**

**Conversation changed then as Bill and Charlie decided they wanted to come to King's Cross to see them off, but Percy said he was too busy to come.**

"Good riddance," Sirius scoffed, knowing the others had noticed, and quickly looking for something else. He quickly latched onto the fact that, "I'll probably enjoy this year a lot more just for the fact I won't have to hear mention of Percy nearly as often."

Lily sighed but no one was going to argue the point with him.

**Explaining that he couldn't be taking time off now, Mr. Crouch was really starting to rely on him. George agreed with a serious nod**

"I wouldn't be surprised if he did nod just like me," Sirius nodded solemnly, ignoring the groan of protest from everyone but Harry.

**that Crouch may even know Percy's name soon.**

None of them bothered to smother their laughter at Percy's expense, he deserved that one.

**Mrs. Weasley had braved the telephone in the village post office**

"A fearful task, I can believe that," James nodded, having once studied one of those telephones, and all of those buttons gave his head a spin.

**and ordered them Muggle taxis. She apologized to her kids that Arthur couldn't get the Ministry to spare them cars again. The Muggles didn't seem particularly pleased with their passengers, as they weren't used to carrying around two owls and a cat, and it didn't help that one of Fred's Filibuster's Fabulous No-Heat, Wet-Start Fireworks went off inside his trunk.**

"Bet that was a hoot to explain," Sirius smirked.

**Crookshanks had panicked at the noise and tried to scale one of the men's legs.**

Lily was shaking her head sadly as she read that, unable to wipe the smile off her own face at this poor scene.

**They were all squished into the backs, and Crookshanks refused to settle down for the whole of the journey, leaving Harry, Ron, and Hermione with plenty of scratch marks when they arrived.**

Remus gave a soft laugh, thinking of a time where Sirius would have loved to make a crack about how they should get rid of Crookshanks for that, but after what he'd done last year Sirius actually had an indulgent smile on his face.

**It was a relief to reach the train station, even while having to practically swim inside it was already raining so hard. They quickly found the barrier between platforms nine and ten, and Harry was used to getting into platform nine and three-quarters by now.**

"Well two out of three isn't bad," James snorted, causing Lily to send him an irritated look, she'd rather forget that year if she could help it.

"Let's hope we can make it three out of four, or better, six out of seven," she muttered as she turned back to the book.

**They simply walked in between the barriers and found themselves in front of the scarlet steam engine. They went to pack away their things and then come back outside for a last chat with Molly, Bill, and Charlie. Charlie was giving Ginny a hug good-bye as he told her that he may be seeing them sooner than they were expecting.**

"Why's that?" Remus asked in surprise.

"Why am I getting the feeling I don't want to know," Sirius asked, spotting the look on Harry's face meaning that he believed Charlie was right. Sirius' mind flickered at once to the fact that Charlie was a dragon keeper, and how he'd like to keep his pup a continent away from those beasts at all times. He was being stupid of course, they wouldn't bring dragons to Hogwarts.

"Oh stop it," Lily chided, trying her hardest to bury her own paranoid fear at this innocent little sentence. "He may be coming up to school for one reason or another, maybe to give a presentation to the seventh year Care of Magical Creatures class."

**When Fred asked why, Charlie just waved it off, mockingly quoting Percy in saying it was classified.**

"Oh bloody hell," James frowned, "does that sound like some innocent talk now?" He wished Charlie was just joking and trying to make it more than it was, but he wasn't sure of it either.

Lily sighed, eying the book like it was Norbert all over again. She liked Charlie enough she supposed, but she was getting a bad feeling about this supposed event that was coming up at Hogwarts.

**Bill was looking almost wistfully at the train as he said he did wish he could go back to Hogwarts this year, but when George asked him why, he just said they were going to have an interesting year, adding on he'd probably come up to watch some of it.**

"A bit of what," all four boys demanded just as Lily continued reading

**Ron asked a bit of what?**

"This is just getting cruel," Sirius groused. "Why can't Harry just go back to school and nothing weird happen for one year? Just one!"

Harry was rubbing his temple in agitation and wasn't paying them any attention, his eyes cross eyed as he tried to stave off whatever he needed to remember, so Lily sighed and regretfully turned back to the book.

**Then the train whistle blew a warning, and they all had to board, with Mrs. Weasley calling to Harry and Hermione that she'd invite them over for Christmas, but she had a feeling they'd want to stay this year.**

"This is cruel and unusual punishment," Remus agreed with Sirius, blowing a raspberry in the baby's face and at least making him feel a little better.

**Ron demanded of his family what they knew, and Molly just said that they'd find out tonight, but she was personally grateful they'd changed the rules.**

James threw his hands up in the air in agitation, saying, "alright, that's it. Give me the book Lily, I'm skipping ahead and checking."

"No you are not," she shot back at once, curling the book into her chest protectively. "I want to know just as bad as you lot, but we are not going to start skipping around."

"But Lily," Sirius whined, trying to make his eyes as wide as they could go. "I don't do secrets-"

"-Trust him on that-" Remus snorted.

"-And it's not fair that they're not sharing," he finished.

Lily just rolled her eyes at them but kept going loudly.

**All four boys demanded to know what rules, but then the train was pulling away, and they were simply waving goodbye.**

"That mother really knows how to keep her boys in suspense," Lily muttered under her breath, just as anxious as her boys to find out what was going on.

**Harry and his two friends went back to their compartment, where Pigwidgeon was hooting louder than ever. Ron decided to put his new dress robes to use by throwing them over his owl's cage.**

"Well that wasn't a bright idea," James grumbled, his sour mood at Harry, and by extension them, being kept in the dark like this making his tone a lot worse then was called for. "Anyone can pop their head in and see them now, and Ron's clearly too embarrassed by them to just laugh it off."

"Wonder if he'll get Hermione to try and transfigure them for him," Remus offered.*

"Hermione refused," Harry shrugged "said that Ron should be thankful for what his mum gave him and such. She had this weird smile on her face the whole time to, said any decent girl wouldn't care he was wearing that anyways."

Lily raised a very surprised brow at that, curiously wondering on Hermione's face and tone at the time, was that implying what she thought? Harry clearly didn't notice anything, as he was watching her expectantly so she decided to keep going for now.

**Then Ron pointed out to Harry that Bagman had been wanting to tell them something about Hogwarts,**

"That's right," Sirius snapped his fingers, "I'd almost forgotten about that! Cruel that some practical stranger wanted to tell what Ron's own mother wouldn't!"

"He would have to if Percy hadn't stepped in," James sighed with disappointment.

**but Hermione cut them off by pointing at the door where a familiar voice was coming through where it had been left open.**

"Familiar good or bad?" James sighed, thinking Hermione probably wouldn't shush them for the first.

"Malfoy," Harry grumbled, which was all the explanation they needed.

"Why is he sitting so close to you," Lily grumbled.

"I am positive he didn't do it on purpose," Remus sniffed.

**A voice saying how his father had wanted to send him to Durmstrang instead of Hogwarts this year,**

"I bleeding wish," Sirius huffed.

**that he and the headmaster were good friends, and he was much better than that mudblood lover Dumbledore.**

Well that wasn't encouraging, seeing as any friends of Malfoy's, there first thought would be it was a Death Eater! Of course that was paranoia talking, Malfoy was friends with the Minister and they really liked to believe he wasn't one.

**Durmstrang taught you the real importance of the Dark Art's, unlike the useless class they had here. His mother hadn't allowed it though, she hadn't wanted him so far away.**

"Rats," James said out of pure habit, giving his fingers a snap, then wincing so hard he looked like he'd just dodged a deadly curse. He felt his stomach churning at once, with rage, disgust, or pain he wasn't sure. Lily gave him the deepest of frowns, sharing all of those feelings and more, but quickly pressed pass the moment.

**Going on to say his father always talks about how Durmstrang was better at teaching the Dark Arts,**

Harry cocked his head to the side, knowing he had some feelings about this, though they were oddly mixed. Like he both wanted to defend the students of the school weren't that bad, but couldn't deny this claim either. This was odd though, had he ever even met a Durmstrang student well enough to know any of this?

**that they learned the material instead of the useless Defense they got. Hermione got up then, closing the door quietly but saying in a normal tone that she wished he had gone, at least then they wouldn't have to put up with him.**

"Amen," Remus grumbled.

**Harry confirmed that Durmstrang was another wizard school?**

"One of the worst," Sirius scoffed at once.

"Sirius," Lily said at once with a sigh, trying to curb him before he could start on a stereotype.

"What, they are," Sirius defended his statement. "If my parents approve of it, it couldn't be a good place. They tried to send me there when they found out I hadn't wound up in Slytherin. My Mum sent me a Howler and everything. I sent her one back of course, telling her I'd make her life hell if she tried, and to leave me alone." He looked so proud of himself, James and Remus started laughing all over again, having been present when he'd sent said angry letter and he'd used much more colorful words then.

Lily just sighed, she wasn't going to argue the point with him.

**Hermione agreed it was, and the reference books she'd found it in all said it was one of the darkest schools. Ron agreed he may have heard of it, asking what country it was in, and Hermine said that no one knew that. Harry asked why not, and Hermione said that it was tradition no magic school knew where the others were, so that they couldn't steal each other's secrets.**

"All schools in every country do that, not just the ones in Europe," Remus shrugged.

**Ron scoffed there was no way you could actually hide Durmstrang, it had to be as big as Hogwarts. Hermione looked surprised now as she pointed out that Hogwarts was hidden, everyone who read Hogwarts, A History knew that. Ron agreed it as just her then.**

"About right," James snickered, watching Lily roll her eyes.

**Hermione ignored the jab and explained that if anyone other than a member of Hogwarts looked at the school, they'd just see an abandoned building with a warning sign to keep out.**

"With repelling charms, so no one's stupid enough to still try," Lily added on when she realized Hermione was done.

**Durmstrang would be the same, it would also be Unplottable. Harry asked what that was, and Hermione explained it was to enchant a building so that it couldn't be mapped.**

"When do you learn about making things unplottable," Sirius asked, since he'd known that bit of information his whole life, he'd no idea when a teacher would have mentioned that.

"Not until sixth year, or later," Lily shrugged. "They don't teach you spells on how to hide yourself like that until a bit later."

**Hermione did add on that she suspected Durmstrang was somewhere up north, as one book had a copy of some of their school supplies, and it involved thick furs. Ron got a dreamy look on his face as he imagined the possibility of pushing Malfoy off a glacier and everyone would just think it was an accident.**

"The possibilities are endless," Remus agreed with a saint like nod of his head, which quickly morphed into a grin as Lily popped him upside the head for that one.

**Adding on it was a shame his mother actually liked him.**

"Well she's always had bad taste," Sirius snickered.

**Not to much later, Neville, Seamus, and Dean made an appearance, and the four boys quickly got into a rousing conversation of the Cup all over again. Hermione quickly grew bored with the topic and dug out her copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4,**

"As if she hasn't memorized that already," James scoffed.

"How do you think she stays on top so much?" Lily smirked back, "she goes over what she already knows. It's got to take endless studying for her to be the way she is."

**and started trying to learn a Summoning Charm.**

Harry felt his stomach lurch a bit, feeling something was quite significant there. Something about Hermione and the Summoning Charm, he really should know something about that shouldn't he?

**Neville listened to the Quidditch talk with rapt attention, and bemoaned he hadn't gone, his Gran wouldn't buy tickets.**

"That poor child," Sirius cried in outrage. No matter the end results, he still testified, "that's practically criminal negligence not to take a boy to a Cup!"

"I'll make sure to submit that to the law books," Lily snorted.

**Ron agreed it had been fantastic, then went digging through his trunk to show Neville something,**

"Oh Ron's clearly all kinds of help," Remus snorted.

**his miniature Viktor Krum. Then he went on to brag slightly they'd been up in the Top Box,**

"Showing off just a tad," James chuckled.

"He couldn't help it," Sirius still couldn't wipe the smile off his face at the thought of that game.

**but was cut off by Malfoy appearing and saying it would be his last time up there. He was accompanied as always by Crabbe and Goyle. Harry shot back he hadn't been invited to join them, but Malfoy wasn't listening as he'd caught sight of the maroon dress robes dangling down from above.**

"Oh bloody hell," Remus groaned.

"Now's the time when you come up with a quick lie," Sirius scowled, his mind working fast as he supplied, "like it's an old owl cover."

Harry just sighed, hoping this didn't turn out to bad.

**Ron made to push it out of sight,**

"And that just made it worse," James grumbled.

**but Malfoy lunged and pulled it down to show off, demanding to know if Ron was really going to wear this?**

"No, he was going to stuff your arse into them," Lily snapped.

**He did slightly agree they'd been in style back in the 1800's, but Ron told Malfoy to eat dung.**

"A rather appropriate response," Sirius nodded, "now let's hear about him forcing the act on the twat."

**Malfoy just laughed as Ron snatched them back, then recovered himself enough to ask if Ron was going to enter.**

"Enter what?" Lily demanded, clearly of nothing as the boys were still too miffed about Malfoy to pay attention to this bit.

**Asking if he would play for the money, his family could do with that.**

"Wait, won what?" Remus asked, that had got his attention.

"Is this what all the secrets been about?" Sirius asked with a raised brow. "Going to be some sort of event going on?"

"With an age restriction," James added on.

"At Hogwarts," Lily's lower lip pouted down at the book, her confusion managing to grow the more this carried on.

**Ron snapped that Malfoy need to clarify himself, but Malfoy ignored him and turned his attention on Harry, saying it wouldn't surprise anyone if he entered, he never missed an opportunity to show off.**

"When have I ever showed off, in front of anybody?" Harry demanded of nothing.

"I think Malfoy found some old photos of you in your glory days Prongs, and got a mismatch," Sirius snickered, while James gave a happy shrug that he couldn't deny that.

**Hermione snapped that Malfoy either needed to explain himself or leave, and Malfoy looked delighted around at all of them that they clearly didn't know. Ron had a father and brother in the Ministry and he'd still been left out! His father had told him ages ago!**

"Merlin I wish he was lying," Remus groaned, rubbing in agitation at his temple, why couldn't this kid just go away?

"Does everyone know about this but me," Harry agreed with a deep sigh, sick of feeling left out of the wizarding world when he seemed to be their main attraction.

**Then Malfoy amended himself that the Minister probably wouldn't speak of anything so important around a Weasley.**

"Oh please," Lily scoffed, "I'm still blasted your bleeding father wasn't put in Azkaban for trying to get Dumbledore sacked the way he did."

She felt bad at the threat she wished had come true, because at the mere mention of that prison Sirius flinched and still lost a few shades of color. None of them disagreed with her, but it wasn't a topic she was going to linger on either.

**Agreeing with himself that it was far too important for him to know about,**

"More like it didn't have anything to do with troll bogies so Arthur shouldn't be bothered with it," Sirius said loudly, agitated at his little spaz. It hadn't happened yet, no need to go acting like a baby every time it was mentioned.

**Still laughing at their expense, Malfoy and his two friends left the compartment, and Ron got up behind them to slam the door so hard he broke the pane of glass.**

"Ah, now that brings back memories," Remus gave an uneasy laugh, remembering the time James had set a Fizzing Whizbee on fire and it had blown all the glass in their compartment, causing the trolley lady to appear and give them a good telling off. The only reason he hesitated in sharing that with Harry was because none of them wanted the reminder that Peter had been in the compartment with them of course, but James forced himself to brush past it and tell his son anyways, at least causing him to laugh.

It was worth the moment of agitation the memory stirred for all of them to see him smiling at their sharing a tidbit of their past lives, and Remus came to realize that this may well be a good way to help them get over this. If sharing those kinds of stories with Harry helped them to ease Peter out of them, all the better.

**Hermione was shocked at his display of aggression, using the 'Reparo' charm to fix the damage, but Ron wasn't listening as he growled that his Dad's work was plenty important, he could have gotten a raise whenever he wanted, he just liked where he worked!**

"I one hundred percent believe that," Lily nodded, thinking Arthur had more dignity then the whole Malfoy line by choosing to stay with his job that he loved rather than trying to push up the ranks like so many others.

**Hermione gently agreed with him, warning Ron not to let Malfoy get to him. Ron tried to brush this off, picking up a Cauldron Cake, but then squishing it in his palm as he snapped no one was getting to him!**

"Oh yes, he's clearly calm as a cucumber, I'm sure he always does that to his sweets," James snorted.

**Ron stayed in a foul mood through the rest of the journey even as the Hogwarts express began to slow down.**

"Poor Ron's not had a very good start to this year," Lily sighed.

"Can you blame him?" Sirius was frowning in sympathy for Harry's best mate. "First his own family, then Malfoy, I'm betting he feels pretty ignored and left out."

**The train to a complete stop in Hogsmeade station where they all stumbled out into the freezing rain and sprinted towards the carriages. The rain was coming down so hard it felt as though someone were pouring buckets of ice over their heads.**

"Oh this just sounds lovely," Remus shivered at the thought.

"Thank Merlin Harry's first year wasn't like that," James sighed, "it's much more memorable and pleasant when you're not having to swim there your first time."

**They only stopped for the shortest time to chat with Hagrid, who said he'd see them up at the school if they didn't drown first.**

"Well that's encouraging," Lily snorted, knowing he was kidding, but what James had said was true enough. It made it seem sad for the poor dears.

**The first years always went to school for the first time through boats on the lake with Hagrid. Hermione agreed as they climbed inside their carriage, pulled by invisible horses, that it would not be a fun journey in this weather. The boys agreed as they made their way to the castle.**

"Well that was, fun," Lily tried for a cheerful tone. At least nothing bad had happened, but she was starting to get a little more nervous every time whatever was happening at Hogwarts this year was mentioned. She didn't like the fact that Harry got a little frown on his face every time, and it wasn't boding well for this peaceful year they were all hoping for.

* * *

Major spoiler warning below guys. I hold nothing back in this, so if you haven't read Cursed Child yet, please come back and read this at a later time. You have been warned.

Thoughts on Cursed Child:

If this was the last Harry Potter related thing we get, I would honestly be disappointed. The seventh book ended on a high, a sort of finality and love that said this is all there is to tell. Now when you find this book, you realize there's much more to tell, and you hardly got a fraction of it.

I genuinely loved many aspects of this. Harry and Albus are done beautifully, you couldn't ask for a better build on of a character we already had, Harry's actions in this just flowed and I never for one second doubted this was Harry Potter. Albus was very well written and I frankly adored his character and genuinely understood any and all motives he possessed. The whole Harry, Albus, Scorpius, Draco story line was a work of art, it built on the previous character build up and ran away with it right into my heart.

You get a few other things I've been craving, for instance you learn where all three of Harry's kids were sorted, Hermione went on to be Minister of Magic, but sadly, there's no etc. Therein lays my disappointment with this. I wasn't exactly expecting twenty chapters on each character and how their life ended up, but I won't deny I wanted more. Teddy never got so much as a mention, so much for the kid who comes around nearly every night for dinner. None of the Weasley's outside of Ron and Ginny get a reference, outside of one joking line from Ron about his mum. I want to know how well Percy integrated himself back into his family. I wanted to see little Fred, and how George coped with the loss of his twin a bit more. I wanted more of those side characters that seemed as real to me as Harry they were all so well done.

The plot, while not bad by any means, genuinely made me wonder at times if someone had been reading their own fanfiction. The time traveling plotline, always a sore spot for me, was handled alright, but I would have liked to see more of it. Albus and Scorpius only screwed up twice, both with believable results, but what I was expecting was some sort of median and a harder choice. I kept expecting them to make it work, and Cedric survived, but then something tiny still happened to their own lives. Maybe Cedric survived but Malfoy died, so in getting his wish Al lost his best friend, and had to make the decision, whether good or bad, of who had more a right to live, the man that died the first time, or the boy who grew from his father's shadow and had a life through Cedric's death. You know it's odd when I'm asking for more from a time travel plot line, but I really thought more could have been done with it.

Often times, the characters kind of made me cringe, one in particular. I loved Hermione in this through all of it, and the moments where time had been messed up and her and Ron still clearly had feelings for each other and were destined to be together made me 'aw' because their love really didn't know any bounds. What agitated me, was Ron. There were pure Ron moments, where I just knew someone was really showing their love of that character in his moments, and then there were those times where he got up and said something stupid because it was his obligatory time to say something. It almost felt like Ron had a split personality in this, where the others flowed just fine through the whole thing. Did the two writers working on this with JK just not like Ron, or didn't know what to do with him? It bothered me a lot, since I defend Ron at every chance I get, and this book made him feel lacking to me. One other small thing of note, were James and Lily Jr. Did they actually get more than one speaking line? Why give Harry three kids if they weren't even going to be there? One dinner scene with the whole family would have sufficed me, but we never even got that!

I have seen some people make some of the same complaints of Ron, but about Harry. Personally, his character never bothered me. He never had a dad, so he was kind of just guessing as he went along with his kids. Harry's always been an insecure person, and I can only imagine that might have gotten worse after the war and all those people died 'because of him' in his eyes. So the way he treated and reacted to Al felt pretty in line with me, Harry's always had a temper and never seems sure how to apologize to anyone.

As for the big plot twist reveal...kind of shocking I'll admit, but definitely just not as good as previous ones. Maybe it's because I don't hold nostalgia for this book and I've been reading for so many years I saw it coming, maybe it's because I'm being an asshat, but really? Voldemort actually had a kid? 1) Please tell me he and Bellatrix did that while he still looked like Tom Riddle, because otherwise, yeesh. 2) Why?! Voldemort has proven he can't love, so what was his desire to have a kid? An heir to continue his glorious work when he at some point died? His main goal throughout the series was to defeat death! He shouldn't have had a need for that! Just to say he had carried on the name of Salazar Slytherin? I don't really buy this, as one he would be creating his own usurper because I wouldn't trust Voldemort not to be weary his son would try to overthrow his power craze, and two, he hated his own dad. He hates his Muggle bloodline, and even carrying it on through another pureblood and his partial Slytherin blood, I can't see how in his head he'd still think this was a good idea. That whole thing was just a big letdown for me to be honest. Maybe Bellatrix got pregnant without Voldemort's knowledge, but I still really, _really,_ can't and don't want to wrap my head around it.

I do not by any means hate this book, I loved what I loved from it, and tolerate the rest because it's by JK Rowling. Maybe it's because I read it in script form, and I just couldn't fully appreciate it. Actually, I know for a fact I didn't fully appreciate it the right way, because there were moments where I was just truly frustrated where it was lacking. I don't want 'it was a very moving scene.' No! I want to live that experience with him, watch it build and him work through it so I can feel it with him. Just saying 'it was a very moving scene' does nothing for me! I was told if I'd watched the actors do it on stage it would have felt better to me, but I just don't really buy that.

I would recommend this book for hardcore Harry Potter fans only, just a 5/10 for me folks.

Sigh, oh well. Here's my fingers crossed JK will never end this novelty series, but my toes crossed that the next to come out will actually be more along the lines of a prequel, I still want my Marauders years at Hogwarts!

You know, I've never done anything like this, but I had so much fun doing it I went back and posted my thoughts on the past three books I completed. I'll go ahead and do this at the end of every book now. I will not be adding The Cursed Child into the ? series, one because it's in Harry's future and I don't have a way to work that into the plot line, and two, because no thank you.

As always if you disagree with anything I've said/ typed, please let me know. I always love to hear differences of opinion!

*Not sure if katiek121 meant this as an actual question that should be asked, or just as a joke, but I still loved it enough to put it in.


	13. THE TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT

Thank you to every guest review in particular I get! I always send personal thanks to those who review with an account, and I feel like I just don't thank everyone who simply reads enough! I cannot put into words how much I just adore watching the numbers shoot up for this near constantly, so thank you all!

To HarryGinny: Is Harry ever going to notice that he has a wedding ring on his finger?

Response: Ah...you make a very good point which I neglectfully oversighted. I went in and added a little something of this conversation in chapter two of Philosopher's Stone, thanks for pointing it out! It was only in the last few paragraphs that I changed anything if you really care about going back to read it, but personally I'm glad HarryGinny did ask about that because I'm happy for what came out of it.

* * *

James took the book with a happy enough smile. He wanted to believe they were all being paranoid, that this was the year nothing bad was going to happen to his son and they'd get to have a rousing time laughing about whatever was to come, rather then going for more calming draughts.

**Hogwarts loomed above them as magnificent as ever, not that they had time to appreciate much of anything as they went sprinting inside out of the rain. Ron was only just shaking some water out of his face as he said how the lake was likely to overflow, before roaring in shock.**

Lily startled as James screamed like that, then scowled as all four boys started laughing at her expense. "I'm so glad you find people screaming funny," she told them pleasantly. "I'll make sure to remember that later, dear," she finished with flashing eyes at her husband.

He gulped, tried and failed for a smile, then went back to the book.

**A water balloon had crashed onto his head, somehow managing to make him even more wet.**

Sirius still couldn't wipe the smirk off his face as he stated, "well that's just lovely. A very welcome back to school present."

"I'm sure it gives students a chance to miss the rain outside," Remus agreed.

**More were coming down as well, one landing at Harry's feet and drowning his socks in the icy liquid, another being lobbed at a group of girls who quickly dived into the Great Hall for cover. Above, Peeves was cackling in triumph**

"Good to see the weather doesn't affect his mood," James snickered.

**as he took aim for another. McGonagall came storming onto the scene, shouting his name, but hardly made it a few steps without sliding in the deluge and having to catch herself on Hermione's neck before they both crashed.**

"Ouch," Lily winced in sympathy.

"For McGonagall and Hermione," Harry agreed with a sad frown for both women.

**Hermione grimaced in pain and McGonagall apologized, Hermione quickly waved her off while massaging at her throat.**

"Great, now we know who we can use to catch our falls from now on," Sirius snorted.

**McGonagall turned her attention back on Peeves and demanded he stop, who paid her no mind as he tossed another set and exclaimed he wasn't doing anything!**

"While technically he is doing something," Remus' smirk kept widening,

**After all, they were already wet!**

"He's not wrong," Sirius finished for him, causing all four boys to crack up laughing again. Lily sighed, wishing she could teleport someone sensible into the house at least.

**McGonagall threatened she'd go and get the headmaster, and Peeves retaliated by dumping the rest of his load on them before zooming away. McGonagall sighed at all the dripping students, but instructed them all to get into the Hall.**

"She couldn't have at least offered to dry them off?" James asked, a wicked grin still in place at his poor sons expense.

"Guess she was still too distracted glaring after Peeves to think about it," Harry chuckled, knowing he'd been no worse for wear of the extra cold.

**The group went into the much warmer Great Hall where the set up was the same as last year with all the floating candles and golden plates on top of each of the four houses. Harry and his two friends took seats by Nearly Headless Nick, who wore his usual attire.**

"Of course it's his usual" Sirius snorted, "he can't hardly change clothes."

**He beamed at all of them and stated 'good evening', though Harry replied according to who, while draining the water from his shoes.**

"Ah cheer up Harry," James said bracingly, "a little water never hurt anyone."

"Even when it's chucked at you from a balloon?" Harry asked simply, not bothering to keep the smirk off his face.

"Especially then," Remus pointed out, finally getting Lily to laugh at that one.

**Then he muttered he hoped the sorting was fast, he was starving, while his internal dialogue noted this would be the first he'd be attending since his own.**

"Thank you for that lovely reminder," Lily snorted.

**Slightly down the row, a boy called down a greeting to Harry, Colin Creevey.**

"Blimey, nearly forgot about this one," Sirius raised a brow in surprise.

"Be thankful it's only a hello," Harry sighed. "He didn't lose a drop of his enthusiasm for me, but at least he didn't memorize my schedule again."

"Well darn," Sirius snapped his fingers, his face giving a slight twitch as his tongue seemed to register he'd said the wrong thing, but quickly pushing past that. "I kind of liked your stalker. Did he and Ginny ever start up that fan club?"

Harry twitched like he wanted to mimic what he'd seen the others do and chuck a pillow at his godfather, but repressed the urge in the end, while James ignored the two and kept going.

**He was a year below Harry and had always been deep in awe with him. Harry gave an exasperated hello back, and Colin quickly kept the conversation going by telling Harry that his little brother Dennis would be starting this year!**

"Oh joy, we don't need Ginny anymore," Remus jumped in on this. "We've got our own club right there!"

"So glad you two are enjoying this," Harry sighed, which didn't help the fact that he was trying to ignore them both.

**Harry faked some enthusiasm for this, while Colin eagerly hoped that his brother was in Gryffindor with them! Then Harry turned back to his friends and asked curiously if it was normal for siblings to get put into the same house, his mind on the Weasley's, all of whom were Gryffindors.**

"Not necessarily," Sirius said at once with a happy smile. "I'm a Gryffindor, but my brother was a Slytherin."

"None of us have siblings, so we can't mark it," Remus shrugged, "but no, it's not standard," he finished agreeably.

**Hermione said no, pointing out that a set of twins, one of whom had gone to Ravenclaw, the other in Gryffindor.**

"Identical twins doesn't mean identical personalities," Lily shrugged. "I can just as easily picture Fred or George having wound up in Slytherin."

"You take that back!" Sirius said instantly, looking as affronted as if she'd cursed at him. "Those two are proud Gryffindors after me own heart."

"Oh hush Sirius," she waved him off, still addressing Harry, "they're both ambitious and clearly very cunning, it's not too hard to picture."

Harry nodded but decided against arguing the point, as he couldn't picture any of the Weasleys in such a house.

**Harry was now looking up at the staff table where there were some empty chairs, Hagrid's as he was still out with the first, McGonagall's who must have gone back out to dry up the Entrance Hall, but one extra seat Harry couldn't place.**

"New teacher," the other four said as one.

"Can we please get someone normal this year," James sighed.

"Should I resent that?" Remus asked with a wane smile.

"You are far from normal Moony, but that's not what he meant and you know it," Sirius grumbled. They all wanted just one bloody year of peace, and so far every one of Harry's DADA teachers had somehow had a hand in spoiling it. Admittedly Remus was still the best by far, so hearing the position was open again stung more than they would have expected it to as they knew who they wanted there.

**Hermione noticed as well, asking where the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher could be? Harry's internal dialogue kicked in as he remembered they'd yet to have one two years in a row, his personal favorite being Professor Lupin,**

Remus couldn't help beaming, still somehow doubting that he'd done any real good in the position, but when no one else looked remotely surprised but instead just happy to hear it, Remus decided against bringing up the argument it was best he had left, he'd only cause more trouble.

**who'd left last year. One quick look at all the staff again confirmed there were no new faces though to mark who it could be this year. Hermione was getting worried as she asked what if they hadn't gotten anyone this year?**

Lily let out a surprised snort of laughter, saying, "that would honestly be kind of interesting. Wonder what they'd do?"

"With any luck, call it a permanent free study period," Sirius sighed wistfully.

"I imagine Dumbledore did appoint someone," Remus shrugged, "there must be someone out there who's still willing to try."

"I know someone who quit too soon," James grumbled under his breath, still giving his friend the stank eye before continuing.

**Harry was still watching all of the other teachers, his least favorite sticking out being Snape.**

"The feeling is mutual," Sirius hissed, to no one's protest. They all wished they were more surprised that he was even still there. It didn't seem fair, that he could do that to Remus and he hadn't suffered his own job as payment.

**The feeling was mutual, and had somehow grown since last year when Harry helped Sirius to escape under his overlarge nose.**

James only got a moment to laugh before saying on reflex, "Harry thought that, I swear!"

Lily wasn't paying him any attention, her eyes were vacant and still managed to look more angry than sad at everything Severus had done last year, so James quickly hurried on and managed to ignore Harry grumbling, "thanks for the bus dad."

**As Sirius and Snape had been old school enemies, the animosity could only have grown.**

**The ceiling above still showed the storm outside, while on his other side Ron groaned he was so hungry he could eat a hippogriff.**

"Buckbeak resents that," Sirius smirked.

"You're speaking for a hippogriff that hasn't even been born yet," Remus laughed.

"I'm sure many hippogriffs resent that," Sirius' smirk widened, "he's just the first by name I thought of. I'm sure-"

"Oh bloody hell you two," Lily cut them off with a pointed look. "It's just an expression as you well know, let James finish this before midnight will you."

"She's in a bad mood," Sirius mumbled into Harry's ear, low enough that he was sure she hadn't heard.

**Not moments later, the doors opened and the new set of first years came filing in, who were so wet they looked more like they swam here, and were all shaking from either cold or nerves.**

"Those poor dears," Lily crooned, switching back to motherly anxious at once. "I wish someone had at least taken to drying them."

**One in particular stood out to Harry, a tiny little mousey haired boy who was wearing Hagrid's coat, which was ten times as large as him. Despite his half terrified expression, he caught Colin's eye and gave him a thumbs-up, mouthing that he'd fallen in the lake.**

Causing a burst of laughter in the room. They really hoped he got sorted into Gryffindor now just to hear that!

**He looked positively delighted about it.**

"I love this kid," Sirius said at once.

"Considering at least once a week you begged us to go take a swim in that lake with you, I'm not surprised," James chuckled.

**McGonagall escorted them to the staff table and then set out the stool with the Sorting Hat on top of that. The Hall went silent, and they all waited as the song began:**

James looked deliriously happy, not quite being able to believe his luck! He'd been dying to sing along with the hat!

**A thousand years or more ago, when I was newly sewn, there lived four wizards of renown, whose names are still well known:**

**Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor, Fair Ravenclaw, from glen, Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad, Shrewd Slytherin, from fin.**

**They shared a wish, a hope, a dream, they hatched a daring plan, to educate young sorcerers thus Hogwarts School began.**

**Now each of these four founders formed their own house, for each did value different virtues in the ones they had to teach.**

**By Gryffindor, the bravest were prized far beyond the rest; For Ravenclaw, the cleverest would always be the best; For Hufflepuff, hard workers were most worthy of admission; And power-hungry Slytherin Loved those of great ambition.**

**While still alive they did divide their favorites from the throng, yet how to pick the worthy ones when they were dead and gone?**

**'Twas Gryffindor who found the way, he whipped me off his head. The founders put some brains in me so I could choose instead!**

**Now slip me snug about your ears, I've never yet been wrong, I'll have a look inside your mind and tell where you belong!**

James finished with gusto, then looked around expectantly like he was awaiting his applause. What he instead received was laughter from three of them for what they considered far too much enthusiasm, and one actual person clapping which was Sirius with a straight face.

"Lovely performance," his best friend nodded with a critical smirk. "Could have used a bit more volume, but you are out of practice so I'll let it slide."

"Thank you," James nodded seriously, only giving the others another reason to laugh. He ignored them and turned proudly back to this book without a trace of remorse.

**Every person present applauded the performance, as Harry leaned over and mentioned that hadn't been the song the Hat had sang to them.**

"Sad that it took you till your fourth year to know that," Sirius sighed.

**Ron told that it sang a new one every year, then guessed that it must need something to do with all its free time.**

Lily snickered in appreciation and agreement.

**Professor McGonagall was now undoing a large sheaf of parchment, and began calling out the new students by their last name in alphabetical order, who would come up and put on the Hat, then go to their new table.**

"It's a good thing they applaud," Remus snorted, "because it's not as if they have them labeled."

**She began with Ackerley Stewart, who joined Ravenclaw. Harry spotted Cho clapping along with the rest of her house,**

"Now why would you notice a thing like that?" James asked with too wide eyes.

"Can't be because of her Quidditch ability, Harry did beat her last game," Sirius nodded along with an undeserved smile in Harry's opinion.

He tried desperately to ignore them both, but his growing redder by the second face wasn't leaving much room for that farce.

Lily wanted just as much to hear more about Harry's first crush, but she pitied her son too much in that moment and instead said, "get on with it James, no need to pick on him when it took you three years to even admit you had a crush on me."

James flushed and quickly turned away.

**and for a moment Harry had the want of getting up to join that house as well.**

"A moment I'd have liked to see him act on," Remus murmured, causing Lily to at least giggle at that. James and Sirius pouted at them, as they'd just been told off for this, but James decided against arguing the point.

**Then Baddock, Malcolm joined the Slytherin's, and Harry watched that boy join his new house, wondering if he knew that Slytherin was known for turning out the most Dark wizards.**

Lily sighed, her earlier amusement soured. She wished Harry would stop thinking of that particular stereotype.

**After a few more students were called, it was Creevey, Dennis' turn, and after stumbling over Hagrid's too large jacket he made his way to the Hat and was quickly announced as a Gryffindor.**

"Yes," Sirius cheered, "I wanted to hear about his experience in the lake!"

"Not so good for Harry," Remus chuckled, "as we might have another Collin this year."

Harry sighed without comment, dearly hoping against that.

**Dennis quickly replaced the hat and ran over to his brother.**

"Did he keep the jacket?" James asked.

"No, he gave it back to Hagrid," Harry chuckled.

**Squealing about how he'd fallen in the lake, but something had grabbed him and put him back in the boat.**

"The giant squid I presume," Lily smiled.

"I love this kid," Sirius cackled, anyone who had this brilliant reaction was okay with him.

**Colin was just as excited as his brother as he exclaimed how cool that was!**

"The concern for his brother is touching," James snickered.

**Explaining for him it was probably the giant squid who had done him the favor. Dennis' expression somehow grew more delighted, as if no one could ask for more from life.**

"Well when you put it like that it sounds like a bad thing," Lily giggled.

**Then Colin drew attention to Harry sitting not too far away,**

"As if you don't have a million pictures of him hanging up in your room," Sirius said with a pointed look at Harry.

Harry was still trying his very best to ignore all of this teasing, hoping they could change topics soon!

**Harry quickly turned his attention back to the sorting, where they'd only made it to the L's and Ron was complaining about his stomach. Nick reprimanded him, saying the sorting was more important than food, and Ron snapped back it sure was if you were dead.**

"Should have eaten more on the train instead of ruining your snacks," Sirius shrugged.

**Nick ignored the snap, saying he hoped this new crop of Gryffindors helped to keep up their running streak, their house had won the past three years now.**

"All three thanks to my boy," James added on with undisguised pride.

Harry flushed again, though this time for a different embarrassment. Only his last year would he actually claim some credibility for, and his whole team deserved the praise. His first two years had really been more of a fluke in his opinion, he hadn't asked or earned those points just for doing the right thing.

**Finally the sorting was completed, and Dumbledore stood up to welcome them all, before offering the simple advice to 'tuck in.' Food magically appeared onto the plates, and they all dug in as Nick watched.**

"Why does he attend the start of term feasts if he's just going to watch us like that?" Sirius asked with a roll of his eyes.

"I thought they greeted the first years in the antechamber," Harry asked in surprise as he first realized this. "Nick and the others were with us the whole time this year."

"Your first year seemed to have been some kind of occurrence," Lily shrugged, "where they were having a meeting about Peeves and were running late. They usually wait in the Great Hall with everyone else."

**Ron sighed with his mouth still full of food how much better he already felt. Nick was watching him with mild disgust as he told that they were lucky to have a feast this year, as there had been a problem in the kitchen earlier. Harry tried to ask what had happened around a mouth full of steak.**

Lily had to fight back the impulse to scold him for talking with his mouth full, she found no sense in doing it for how many years ago.

**Nick said it was Peeves obviously,**

"Of course," Sirius began laughing at once. He always enjoyed hearing what that Poltergeist got up to.

**he'd had his usual argument of wanting to attend the feast, but of course everyone said no. The Poltergeist couldn't look at a plate of food without throwing it.**

"I'm glad Nick mentioned that instance in particular," Remus gave a fond smile. "I was worried someone would forget about it."

"Let me guess," Harry began with a happy smile.

"Right in one," Sirius nodded without remorse. "We caused a distraction and let him into the Great Hall, where he started the most epic food fight in Hogwarts history between all of the houses."

"I had to attend potions with mash still in my hair," Lily sniffed, but her shoulders were shaking with repressed laughter as she finished, "but it was worth it when I nailed you with that whole bowl of pudding." She finished with a loving smile at her then boyfriend.

"I knew you did that on purpose," James said, swinging his finger wildly in her face.

Lily had an unrepentant smirk on her face, and still grumbling a bit with a fond smile of his own, James turned back to the book for now.

**Ron agreed Peeves had seemed in a particularly bad mood today, asking what he'd done to the kitchens in particular?**

"Cause mayhem," Remus said at once with a casual shrug.

"That is a good idea though," Sirius nodded along. "How come we never thought of getting him into the kitchens."

"Because you valued your meals more than your life," Lily snorted. "You never would have jeopardized such a thing after McGonagall threatened to ban you from the Great Hall after you let Peeves in there."

Sirius nodded in agreement with that.

**Nick shrugged as he said the usual, making everything fly around and breaking whatever he could, giving the house-elves quite a fright- clang!**

"Timing," James said with mild disappointment, he'd wanted Nick to keep going.

**Hermione had knocked over her drink, staining the tablecloth below orange for several feet, but clearly paying that no mind.**

"What's with her?" Remus asked in surprise.

"Oh that's right, she wouldn't know anymore then Harry that there were house-elves at Hogwarts," Sirius shrugged.

"And judging by the way she was acting about it over the summer, this might not go down well," Lily sighed solemnly. She now felt bad for her earlier outburst at Sirius, and she'd already seen evidence that Ron and Hermione might rehash the argument they'd just had.

**She demanded that there were house-elves in this castle?**

"Where did she think all that food came from?" James snorted in surprise. "She knows the only staff there are the teachers."

"Guess it just never occurred to her to question it," Lily shrugged, she'd been the same way for the longest time.

**Nick agreed of course there were, one of the largest dwellings of them in Britain. Hermione gasped that she'd never seen one, and Nick laughed of course not, it was a good mark to never see them. Hermione was still half gaping in shock as she demanded that they got paid, and were treated as proper employees, yes? Nick laughed so hard his head fell off as much as it could.**

"I just love that you and your friends don't even try what we strived for," Sirius sighed. "It took me ages to get him to laugh so hard his head fell off."

**He fixed it before telling her that elf's didn't want such things. Hermione set down her silverware and pushed her plate away. Ron began laughing at her, but she shot back that slave labor had made this meal, and refused to take anything more.**

All five of them looked worriedly surprised at that, was she going to refuse to eat her whole stay there? Only Lily felt sympathy for the girl rather than wanting to laugh at the display like clearly the Marauders wanted to, at least she understood why Hermione was behaving like this.

**Ron kept trying, offering up her favorite foods, but then Hermione gave him such a sever look McGonagall would have been proud, and he let it go.**

"You know she's really making a point when she ignores the desserts," Remus said solemnly.

**Once the feast was over for everyone else, Dumbledore took to his feet again. First he praised the good food, to which Hermione huffed at,**

"Is she going to be like that every meal now?" James sighed.

"It'll be a miracle if she even attends another meal," Sirius shrugged.

**but no one noticed as Dumbledore began speaking of other things, such as the list of forbidden items at this school which had been updated to including Screaming Yo-yos,**

"Killjoy," Remus pouted.

**Fanged Frisbees,**

"Can't believe it took him that long to add those," Sirius snickered.

**and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs.**

"My personal favorite," James cackled.

**The full list of four hundred and thirty-seven items**

"And he's memorized every one of them," Lily said with chipper.

**could be found on Filch's door.**

"There'll be a line out the door for that," Harry muttered under his breath, which James and Sirius still heard, and exchanged indulgent smiles, more than happy Harry was playing along.

**The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched.**

"Cannot imagine why," Remus said with an almost straight face.

**He still continued with the warnings, stating that the Forbidden forest was also out-of-bounds,**

"At least I didn't have to deal with that last year," Harry sighed, that was one thing he could be grateful for at least.

**as well as the Hogsmeade village to all below third year. He added on something extra this year, which was that there would be no Quidditch tournament.**

James had been happily reading for so long, that this bombshell didn't quite register until he heard Sirius gasp so wildly you'd think he'd been stabbed in the chest.

"You must be bleeding joking!" Remus demanded, watching James like he wasn't sure who he was staring at anymore. "Tell me that was a terrible joke."

"I'd never joke about something like this!" James yelped, staring down at the print like it had just whacked him over the head with his own broom.

"I, I don't understand," Sirius' lower lip was starting to wobble, like he was going to start crying any second. "He can't, Dumbledore can't-"

"Oh come on you lot," Lily sighed, finally cutting in, "read on now, and let the man give an explanation as to why, you know he will."

**Harry gasped in outrage,**

"A completely appropriate reaction," Remus nodded, ignoring Lily rolling her eyes at him, though Harry still looked as stunned at the news as the rest of the boys.

**and glanced around to see Fred and George mouthing wordlessly at the headmaster, to appalled to yell out yet.**

"They weren't the only ones," Harry sighed, somehow getting the feeling he would have preferred Quidditch to whatever was going on this year.

"It's a good thing Wood hadn't come back this year, or he would have had heart failure," Lily couldn't help but point out with a light giggle.

**Dumbledore had to speak over a growing protest to state that instead, starting in October,**

"Unless you plan on cancelling all classes this year and giving everyone a free year, I cannot see in what way taking out Quidditch is alright," Sirius huffed.

**but was cut off by the doors opening.**

"Oh bloody hell!" James groused, though admittedly his eyes did light up with curiosity now.

"The timing of whoever interrupted this should get an award," Lily snorted.

"So the reason they canceled Quidditch has something to do with this big secret," Remus' eyes glowed with curiosity now.

"Must be really big," Sirius ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

**The man who came in was one that made the whole hall fall silent. His features were striking, and not in a pleasant way. As he walked towards the staff table, you could distinctly hear a clunk every other step. Then a strike of lightning threw his face into sharp relief, and Hermione gasped.**

Harry let out a strangled noise as well, his eyes getting wider the longer this man was described.

"Who on earth-" Lily began with confusion, but James shrugged, clearly indicating none of them had any idea so kept going.

**Harry couldn't blame her, as this stranger's face was like nothing he'd seen before. Every inch of the lined face seemed to bear a scar, half of his nose was missing, and his mouth looked more like a wound as well, then there was the eye.**

James couldn't help a little shiver for this man, wondering what on earth he'd been through to get like this.

**One was normal sized, but the other was wide as a pound, the iris of which was bright blue. It seemed to have a life of its own as it roved over every inch of the place, never settling, and at one point rolling right into the back of the man's head. It never blinked.**

Sirius' mouth was stretching wide, the idea of that thing a combination of creepy and kind of cool leaving him unsure how he was supposed to be reacting.

**He reached Dumbledore, who shook his hand and offered him the seat beside him.**

"No way," Remus demanded, his eyes narrowed shrewdly at the book. "That's your new DADA teacher?"

"Unless he's there for some other reason, which I can't think of," Lily agreed.

"Why can't you just have one normal teacher?" James sighed.

"Hey," Remus yelped, giving a halfhearted glare at him. "You saying I'm not normal?"

"Moony, I know you're not," Sirius snorted, waving James on amidst the others giggling.

**As the man took his seat, his coat rose up enough you could make out his legs, one of which was simply a peg.**

**Dumbledore gave him the introduction of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Moody.**

"What!?"

Harry just nodded absently though, like the news didn't surprise him one bit. What he was thinking on though was this odd little feeling, like he shouldn't trust this man one little bit. It was so at odds with his first impression of him though, a trustworthy man, why would he have such conflicting feelings about this?

"That's, that's not-" Sirius shook his head wildly as he tried to line up the Auror in his prime now with this misshapen thing.

"No way that's _Alastor_ Moody," James was going nearly green in shock as he reread that almost terrifying description. "Sure he's been pretty badly marked, but the eye, leg and nose? Who on earth managed to get him?!" His head was reeling as he tried to wrap his mind around that. Moody was like his idol, he couldn't imagine a more fearsome and undefeated Auror, and to hear something like this had happened to him was crushing!

Lily felt terrible for him of course, but suddenly she was looking at her husband with a whole new fear as well. She had never argued with him when he said he wanted to be an Auror, in the type of life they lead fighting a war it almost made sense this was where he'd been leading, but for the first time she truly reflected what it would feel like if her husband didn't come home one day because he hadn't lived through one of those injuries. She was already facing a terrifying future where her and James were set to die, but what if they somehow managed to fix it, and James only got a few more years left of life but still died because of this? Her heart felt like it was shriveling up in her as she so desperately wanted to throw this at James, for the first time try and convince him of something else, but wondering if she even should. Was it right to try and force him to change careers just because she was getting a little spooked?

Still stuttering slightly from 'this future sucks' overload, James had to blink hard a few times before forcing himself to go on. He hated sitting here thinking about this happening, but glancing over at Harry was a good reminder it wasn't the most important thing in his life right now.

**He and the rest of the staff began applauding the new appointment, but no one else moved.**

"I'd be too shocked to as well," Lily murmured, still shifting her weight around with unease.

**The noise died quickly, and Harry hissed into Ron's ear if this was the same Mad-Eye Moody?**

"Guess now we get the name," Remus grumbled to himself, his brow still furrowed up in worry for this future. It was honestly beginning to feel like no one in their future from the Order lived a decent life, which wasn't exactly encouraging.

**The same Arthur had gone out to help this morning?**

"Just, Alastor Moody, as a teacher," Sirius' eyes still hadn't gone back down to their normal size. "I can't decide what's blowing me more, the thought of him doing that, or him with half his nose missing! Or that eye, or-"

James reached around Harry and gave his best friend a pat on the shoulder in commiseration, he was still fairly in shock himself.

**Ron agreed it had to be the same guy, and Hermione asked what had happened to him. Ron said he wasn't sure,**

"Wish Ron did know when that happened to him," Sirius shivered, wondering if there was an ambush somewhere in their future, or if this happened after Voldemort's downfall?

**Moody didn't seem to notice the attention on him, now eating some sausages and drinking from a hip flask from his coat. When he lifted his arm to drink, Harry got a better view of the wood, which was carved to be shaped like a foot.**

All five of them couldn't help another shiver. It's not as if they'd never met someone with a prosthetic, but the idea of it happening to the head of the Auror department like that still wouldn't sit right in their mind, not the man who seemed thicker than stone.

**Dumbledore had to clear his throat to reclaim attention, and then continued as if he hadn't been interrupted, going back to say that this year Hogwarts would be hosting the Triwizard Tournament.**

James had still been reading on autopilot from the shock of Moody's appearance in this timeline, that he'd almost read right past this without realizing it. Then his brain caught up with his tongue, and he nearly bit the muscle off as he shouted, "what?"

"You did not just say that!" Sirius demanded, reaching over and yanking the book away, though the second his eyes landed on the words they still managed to double in size.

"That's what all this fuss has been about?" Lily snorted. "I think I'd have preferred to hear about the Quidditch matches."

"Well that's a little harsh," Remus laughed. "I've heard all about these things, and they sound like a blast."

"Clearly we haven't heard about the same thing," Lily snorted, several events that ended in deaths first coming to her mind.

Harry did not join in the celebration of whatever this meant, but instead felt a cold chill break out over him. This was going to be terrible, of that he had no doubts. Yet his fourteen year old mind was just sort of confused on the topic, and as trying to think on reasons why he wouldn't like this for any time gave him a headache, he instead inserted, "what's that?"

"Oh you're going to love this pup," Sirius smirked. "It's this event where they take students from different schools and pin them against each other in these crazy matches. One year they had hippoi athanatoi-"

Harry interrupted like Sirius had just spoken Greek.

"Fire breathing horses," he waved off, "and they raced them around this swamp filled with-"

"Please stop," Lily moaned, pressing her hand to her ears.

Sirius rolled his eyes at her but said, "anyways, the point is, it's like this huge game to prove your school's the best."

"Sounds like fun honestly," Harry laughed, he couldn't help it with all the enthusiasm Sirius was showing, and his attitude had successfully pushed away any negative feelings Harry originally had.

"Well, it was canceled a long time ago," Remus added on with a smirk. "They seemed to have problems controlling, ah, certain aspects of it, and well-"

"Almost every year a contestant died," Lily finished bluntly.

"You're a worry wart," James scoffed. "That was years ago, and you think the same thing about Quidditch."

"Rogue bludger," she said bluntly, causing all four boys to sigh, and Harry to try and defend:

"But Dobby-"

"Bucking broom, dementors, do I need to keep going?" she threatened, causing him to wince and admit defeat.

"What are you being such a baby for?" James groaned at her. "Didn't Molly say something about an age limit? I'd think she'd have told her kids about this ages ago, so that she could tell them not to join, if they were old enough."

"Yeah, you probably have to be of age or something," Remus agreed. "Honestly, that makes sense anyways, you'd think they'd have thought of that in the first place."

Lily at least looked mildly appeased, but his dad's offhand comment brought something back to almost the forefront of Harry's brain. Like his mother should stay worried about this...

James didn't notice Harry's lingering worry though, as he'd admit that this almost did make up for the no Quidditch this year. Harry was going to have a blast watching whatever the schools had cooked up! He quickly snatched the book back from Sirius now so he could keep going.

**Fred shouted in shock that Dumbledore must be joking!**

"I cannot imagine Dumbledore joking about something like this," Remus laughed.

**The tension upon Moody's arrival broke as the whole hall burst into excited muttering, and Dumbledore let it continue for a moment before chuckling and saying he was not joking, though he had heard a funny one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who had gone into a bar- McGonagall cleared her throat loudly to cut him off.**

"Ah, why'd she interrupt?" James snickered. "That was a good one."

"I've never heard it," Harry said in surprise.

Even Lily couldn't find it in herself to groan this time as Sirius lit up like a kid with a new toy as he said, "alright, then listen good. A leprechaun, a troll, and a hag all went into a bar."

Sirius put on a false voice as he cried out:

"Benny!" said the bartender to the leprechaun, "I warned you three not to come back here after the last time. Took me weeks to clean up after all the mischief you caused."

He changed voices again to that of his best impression of an Irish man:

"Oh but it's Floss's birthday," said Benny pointing to the hag. Who smiled and showed off her one good tooth. "Give us a quick pint and let Troll and me sing to her. Then we'll be on our way. Cross me heart an' hope ta die."

Sirius then switched back to his normal, though slightly louder then was called for, voice as he continued:

The bartender was a soft-hearted, and rather soft-headed man, and so he did as Benny asked.

No sooner had they finished their drinks when a fight broke out over who should be allowed to give Floss a birthday kiss.

The troll and the leprechaun wrestled like they were caught in Devil's Snare and broke a remarkable amount of glassware. The bartender tried every spell he knew to stop them, but nothing worked. Truth to tell, he was not a very good wizard.

Meanwhile Floss the Hag stood by, grinning and looking quite pleased with the celebration in her honor.

After a lengthy brawl, the troll had the advantage. He towered over the quaking leprechaun, ready to smash an enormous beer barrel over the poor fellow's head."

Then Sirius switched to his best feminine voice, his impression of Lily though he'd never admit that aloud, and said:

"Oh for pity's sake," said Floss who was also an accomplished witch. "Alohomora!"

Sirius continued the pattern of switching between each voice as he finished off the joke.

"With a wave her wand, Floss opened the sealed barrel, dumping a lovely, golden brew over the troll, and quite possibly saving the leprechaun's life.

"Floss!" cried the leprechaun. "Let me thank ye with a wee kiss." But the hag shook her tangled tresses of hair and refused him.

"Yeh see! I'm the one she likes!" shouted Troll. He somersaulted to his lady love and tried to gather her in his great arms, but in a blink of a Cyclops' eye, the hag disapparated and her companions fled.

Once again, the bartender was left with a dreadful mess to clean up. His wife, who had witnessed the whole affair, heaved a sighed and began to mop up the ale."

In this voice he actually tried at Madam Rosmerta, to which he would admit to if anyone had bothered to ask.

"Well, my dear," she said. "At least we've learned two important lessons."

"What's that?" said her grumpy husband. He was in no mood for philosophical musing.

"Obviously," the wise and alarmingly cheerful woman continued, "A Benny saved is a Benny spurned. And a rolling troll gathers no Floss."*

Harry let out a surprised burst of laughter, even the others joined in though they'd heard the joke before. Sirius just had this magical way about him of being able to retell any joke and still making it funny, the one and only exception being his serious/ Sirius joke, but he was still working on that.

**Dumbledore agreed now wasn't the time for that joke, and went back to speaking of the Tournament. He knew that some students already knew what this was, so he encouraged them to let their minds wander while he informed the others.**

"The only ones who wouldn't know about it are the Muggleborns," Lily snorted, "and even then you're likely to hear about it at least once before you leave school. The stories about this thing still get thrown around some nights."

"How many times has Hogwarts hosted it?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Well the first one was held sometime during the 12th or 13th century," Remus shrugged, "but it officially ended in 1792."

"It was held every five years by each school in turn," James shrugged.

"So Merlin knows how many times exactly," Sirius snorted, not up for doing the math at the moment, but Harry seemed to get the gist of it and nodded.

**He began by saying that the Triwizard Tournament was founded over seven hundred years ago, as a competition between the three largest European schools, Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A student was selected from each school and set to compete in three tasks. Each school took turns hosting it every five years, but the event ended when the death toll became too high.**

**Hermione repeated the word death toll in shock, but she was of a minority. Everyone else seemed to be muttering excitedly to their friends about this, not much of a care for people who had died hundreds of years ago.**

"You see Lily, you and Hermione worry too much," Remus nodded along.

Lily just sighed, recognizing she was outvoted and it wasn't worth the argument.

**When Dumbledore continued, everyone quickly fell silent to listen as he comforted that they'd taken great measures this year to ensure no one would die.**

"I'm sure that's what they said last time," Lily muttered to herself, her eye still lingering a moment too long on her son with worry, so she was the only one who noticed him flinch at that statement. She frowned, but didn't call him out on it as he quickly tried to smooth out his face and pretend otherwise.

**The heads of the other two schools would be arriving in October, and the selection process would begin on Halloween night.**

"Uroh," James couldn't help but mutter, considering nothing good had ever happened on that date!

"I'll agree with you on that one," Harry sighed, rubbing in high agitation at his temple now. He just knew the more he heard about this, the less he was liking it, no matter how persistent his fourteen year old mind was trying to butt in and say this sounded like a blast.

**There would be an impartial judge who decided the champions, and the reward was the Triwizard Cup, the glory for their school, and a thousand Galleons prize money.**

"Impartial judge?" Harry asked with only the vaguest of interest now, though he tried to hide it for the sake of the men who still looked enthralled by the idea.

"Not happening pup," Sirius said at once, "this is going to be a surprise."

Harry gave him a good natured pout, but didn't argue the point, almost relieved to let it go and hoping Dumbledore would soon as well.

**Fred at once said he was going to try.**

"Cannot blame him," James cackled, knowing he'd be first in line if this had happened while he'd been there.

**He was not the only one, as all around the hall people were nodding along with deep interest at all of this. Dumbledore quickly nipped that in the butt, as he said that there would be an age restriction,**

They may have already worked this out, but none of them could honestly bring themselves to groan about it too much. Harry had enough life and death situations the past three years to last them a lifetime. Despite how much of a riot it would be for them to hear about this going on, none of them could even pretend they weren't a little happy Harry wouldn't even get an opportunity.

**you had to be of age, seventeen, to enter. There was an uproar at once, the Weasley twins in particular looked murderous.**

"I can see why they'd be a little ticked," Remus winced in sympathy. "They are turning seventeen soon enough, it's so close they must feel personally affronted."

"Can't wait to see what they do about it," James said with an old mischievous smirk, which Sirius happily adopted moments later.

Lily chuckled lightly at them, but wasn't going to hold out any real hope either of them got away with anything.

**Dumbledore didn't seem to notice as he explained this tournament was dangerous no matter how many safety measures were in place, and anyone underage wouldn't be up for the task.**

"Well he's just being a right ol' killjoy," Sirius shook his head in mock scolding.

**He looked almost stern now as he asked the students who could not compete, not to waste their time trying.**

"Right," James drew the word out in disbelief, "as if half the students in that school aren't going to try anyways."

"It'll be a hoot to hear," Remus snickered.

**He rounded the discussion up by saying it was getting late, and they all had to get to class in the morning, and to chop chop off to bed.**

"You _cannot_ announce something like that, and actually expect them to chop chop anywhere, let alone bed," Lily said deadpan.

"Least we're in agreement on that," James chuckled.

**Dumbledore retook his seat and began speaking quietly to Moody, while the rest of the students began filing out. Fred and George kept their places in mutiny, grumbling to each other how they'd be seventeen in April, they should get their shot.**

"And if they'd bumped it down to sixteen, every fifteen year old close enough would be complaining," Remus rolled his eyes. "There really is no happy median."

**Fred was saying they couldn't stop him, that the champions would get to have all kinds of fun!**

"Right, fun," Lily rolled her eyes, thinking the twins needed to hear some of the stories she had, maybe they'd change that word.

"Can't deny the glory of that," Sirius nodded simply, like his best friend unable to bat away his own desire to see his name tossed into this.

**With a thousand Galleons for prize money.**

"A lure to any," Remus laughed, not particularly wanting himself to go out and do this, but knowing he'd back either of his friends if they wanted their go.

**Ron gave a dreamy agreement to that, but Hermione convinced them all to start heading upstairs. Harry asked who this impartial judge could be?**

The others were fighting hard to keep a straight face as Harry eyed them all critically for a clue. It probably wasn't fair of them, but they wanted to see the surprise on his face when he came to realize that answer.

**They didn't have any idea, but Fred was certain that a few drops of Aging Potion would get them in.**

"Not a bad idea actually," James nodded at once.

"Much more subtle then I would have given them credit for," Remus agreed.

"Sometimes the subtlest things make the biggest impacts," Sirius said with one to many crinkles around his eyes, giving Harry the strong impression he spoke from experience.

**Ron reminded that the school knew they weren't of age.**

"Well there's that," Harry said, still watching those around him and looking for a crack. "Couldn't Dumbledore saying something to this judge get them out of it."

"Nuhu," James wagged his finger, "you're not getting it out of us, you'll just have to wait."

Harry grumbled at them, but had no way to argue the point.

**Fred shot back that wouldn't matter, it's this judge who decided, and once he did that was that. Hermione voiced her concern though that people had died in this before. Fred waved that off, saying that was years ago, and what was life without risk?**

"And here I used to agree with them," Remus sighed, his smile slipping slightly as he remembered one to many times of the risks of Harry's life.

James and Sirius exchanged put out looks, knowing they would have agreed with the twins before they started these books, but now wishing for nothing more exciting to happen to Harry this year than watching some older students do something stupid and maybe a paper cut from his homework.

**Then he turned his attention on his brother, asking if they figured this out would he want in? Ron tried to play it off, saying they hadn't learned enough,**

"It's not always what you learned," Sirius shrugged, "it's the ingenuity it takes to win the game."

"I'm glad you're not encouraging him or anything," Lily snorted.

**then Neville's voice came from behind them saying that he knew he couldn't do it, but his gran would probably have told him to try anyways and actually bring some honor to the family for once.**

"That woman is agitating me the more I hear about her," Lily's scowl deepened, hating to hear about Neville speaking of her the more this carried on. "What woman would say that to a child? It's not his job!"

"Agreed, I've heard Frank go on about her," Remus sighed with pity. "He's about as lovely on the discussion as you are about Petunia."

Lily pursed her lips so tight they went almost white, but all they could really do was feel pity for the poor boy. It was so sad that Neville's life hadn't seemed to turn out much better then Harry's, but sitting here griping about it wasn't going to fix anything.

**He was cut off from saying anything else by falling into a trip step.**

Sirius went an ugly gray color, remembering his and _someone's_ old gag of trying to push each other into these. It was a terrible blow to the gut at such a random reminder, and he'd already been in such a down mood at the thought of Neville's life he looked pretty bad in that moment.

The others hadn't really noticed though as they all avoided each other's eye in that moment because they'd all thought on the exact same person, and James quickly read past the sticky moment.

**Most of the older students knew by now which of these to jump, but Neville had a notorious bad memory and sank up to his knee in the step. Harry and Ron quickly stepped back to pull him out, and as they passed a piece of armor that was laughing at the display, Ron told it to shut it while slamming its helmet shut for it.**

"Ron's such a sweet friend, even to someone who's not a best friend," Lily said with a little too much pitch, but it at least made the boys smile again.

**They made it up to Gryffindor tower where George gave the password of Balderdash to the Fat Lady, saying a prefect had told him already.**

"He's literally been with you the whole time," Remus snorted, "when did this happen?"

"Before they sat down to eat," Harry shrugged.

**The common room was as cozy and warm as ever, but Hermione took one look at the glowing fireplace and muttered something about slave labor,**

"Glory, in all the fuss I've nearly forgotten about her little problem," James snorted in surprise.

Lily gave him a sharp look, mostly for referring to it as a 'little problem' but wasn't going to have a go at her husband for something she'd already had out with Sirius.

**before marching up the stairs. Harry, Ron, and Neville went up to their own dorm, where their other two roommates were already getting ready for bed. Seamus had pinned up his Ireland rosette to his headboard, while Dean had a poster of Viktor Krum above his.**

Sirius let out a surprised bark of laughter, thinking that those two who were clearly best friends doing that to each other was pretty hilarious.

**They all settled into bed not long after, and Ron whispered sleepily to Harry that if the twins did pull it off, well that tournament you know? He might just go for it.**

"I don't think I could stand listening to Ron go through that anymore then Harry," Lily sighed, running her hand through her hair at the thought.

"Thankfully the age rule applies to him to," Remus said peacefully.

**Harry half agreed as he rolled over in his sleep, a dream already forming in his mind's eye as he pictured convincing this judge he was seventeen,**

"Sorry pup," Sirius smirked, "you could be seventeen and still not pass for it, you're too scrawny."

"Oi," Harry yelped, giving him the stank eye, but the others were too busy laughing to think he meant it.

**He'd been picked for Hogwarts champion, and being risen above the crowed with the Triwizard Tournament Cup in hand.**

"So not only would you go for it," Remus chuckled, "you have no doubts you'd win eh?"

"Every person in that school is having a similar dream at that moment," James laughed.

"And Harry's actually got some experience to back up the delusion he could," Sirius smirked.

"Delusion?" Harry pouted, choosing to stay in this conversation and ignore the terrible ache he was getting from this daydream...it's not as if it had any meaning at all...right?

"You sure sound confident Harry could win," Lily shot back at Sirius.

"Hey, I'm happy he can't," Sirius threw his hands up in surrender, "I'm just saying, he's lived through some stuff that would give him an edge."

"You should stop talking now," James butted in with a snicker, knowing Sirius didn't mean it, but Lily was giving him the stank eye meaning she was thinking otherwise.

**Cho's face in particular stood out, glowing with admiration.**

Causing all four of them to smile at Harry's expense, who rather wished his mum and Sirius would start going at it again to save him from this.

**Harry grinned into his pillow, exceptionally glad that Ron couldn't see what he could.**

"As if Ron wasn't thinking the exact same thing," James snorted as he passed Sirius the book.

"Except possibly with some other girl then Cho," Sirius nodded in agreement.

* * *

Two big reveals this chapter back to back, hope I did them justice...

* At least, that's Mugglenets version of the joke, the whole of it was taken from there and I claim no originality in that. My personal favorite punchline is something else, but I'm saving that for another book, so just consider this a warning this joke may crop up again.


	14. MAD-EYE MOODY

Sirius couldn't wait to get his chapter going, he was surprised how much he missed reading this.

**Monday morning* dawned with another overcast sky, while below it eating breakfast sat the twins and Lee still discussing the Triwizard Tournament.**

"I would expect nothing less of them," James smirked.

"I wonder who won all the previous tournaments," Remus' eyes sparked with interest, wishing he'd done more than just heard some passing stories about this.

"I know that Beauxbatons won 62 times, while Hogwarts 63," Harry prattled off, then gave a shrug and said, "don't tell me you're surprised Hermione knows random facts about this thing."

That gave them all a laugh as they agreed.

**Ron was looking over his schedule, saying at least they had all morning outside with Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures, but bemoans they were still taking the later with the Slytherins.**

"They don't change that in between years," Lily sighed, "you're stuck with them until your fifth year ends at least."

For some reason this didn't seem to make Harry feel any better.

**Harry was looking at it as well, and groaned about having a Double Divination in the afternoon.**

Both Harry and Sirius felt a chill creep up their spine, their last experience with that class hadn't ended well.

**Divination was his least favorite subject,**

"Including-" Remus began in amazement but Sirius kept going loudly,

**apart from Potions.**

"Well alright then," he chuckled as he leaned back.

**Professor Trelawney kept predicting Harry's death, which he found extremely annoying.**

"Especially since it doesn't even get you out of homework," James grumbled.

**Hermione was saying how they should have dropped that class like she had, while buttering up some toast,**

"Still wishing I had," Harry huffed, that prophecy had done him a lot more harm than good at the end.

Sirius though caught on something else as he yelped, "hey, she's eating again."

"Couldn't really see her holding out that no food grudge forever," Remus snorted.

**that they could be doing something more useful like Arithmancy if they had.**

"Is it still too late to do that?" Harry sighed.

"You'd have to take it up with McGonagall," Lily shrugged. "Have a valid reason for switching, which I suppose harassment by a teacher repetitively telling you you're going to die counts."

"Hermione had so many extra classes last year she wouldn't have had to give one," James added on thoughtfully.

Harry sighed, wishing he had done something about this, but still couldn't seem to shake that feeling that he may be grateful someday he kept up with Trelawny.

**Ron noticed Hermione was eating again, to which she replied she'd thought up a better way to help elf's. Ron laughed that she was also hungry.**

"Well that to," Remus agreed, knowing she wouldn't admit to that.

**There was a distracting noise above as all the owls came in to deliver the morning paper, but amongst the colors Harry could not spot his own.**

This time even Sirius couldn't keep up the bravado that everything was fine. Time had been hedging on so long, he really was starting to get a 'walk over your grave' type of feeling the longer he went without answering. Still, he was thankful he was the one reading, as his managing to keep going was a reminder to the others he was just fine now.

**Harry was starting to get a very bad feeling, was it possible that something had happened to Hedwig, and Sirius hadn't even gotten his letter?**

"No offense to Hedwig, but I like that answer better than something having happened to Sirius," Remus murmured under his breath, to which Lily couldn't help but agree with.

**He couldn't think of anything else all the way to Herbology, but was soon thoroughly distracted by finding what the class had to do today. They resembled slugs coming out of the soil, each pulsing and with many large pustules.**

"Gross," Sirius said extra loudly, catching everyone's eye with a hard glint telling them to drop it, no need to make a fuss until real evidence showed up.

James cracked first, nodding along and saying, "agreed, one of the worst Herbology classes, those thing should be classified as a punishment."

"Were great for a little surprise though," Remus added on more heavily than he meant to, but at least he'd tried. Sirius still gave him a winning smile and ignored how they still kept watching him a little too closely.

**Professor Sprout explained they were Bubotubers, and the class today was to collect the pus, despite several students' protest of how gross this was. Apparently it was extremely valuable, and they were to wear their gloves while squeezing them into the glass jars, as the liquid could cause bad things to happen to exposed skin.**

**Popping the tubers was disgusting, yet oddly satisfying.**

Lily snorted in surprise, flexing her hand in disgust at the thought, but upon contemplation she could see where Harry was coming from.

**By the end of the lesson they had several pints to show for it, and Professor Sprout seemed very happy as she said Madam Pomfrey in particular would be thankful for this, it was a great remedy to get rid of stubborn acne.**

"Oh, but it has so many more uses," Sirius sighed with an old smile the others knew far too well.

"None that need to be shared right now," Lily said pointedly to a very curious Harry who loved hearing their old stories.

James pouted at her, as he loved nothing more than sharing with his son all the mischief he'd gotten up to at school, but Sirius went back to his reading anyways.

**Hannah did say that another girl named Eloise had tried to curse hers off.**

"Ooh," Lily coed.

"Really would have been best if she'd tried asking for help with that first," Remus grimaced in agreement.

**Sprout agreed that had been foolish, but Pomfrey had put her nose back on straight in the end.**

Harry did a double take in surprise. He'd never seen her as far as he knew, but surely any acne couldn't have been that bad?

**They were dismissed from class then, and headed down towards Hagrid's hut, where they found said man holding back his dog Fang who was straining to go have a sniff at several crates.**

"Brilliant," James beamed, "he's clearly moved on from those worms."

"Glad to hear it," Sirius nodded on with high curiosity, "as we know he can do better."

**The closer they got, they could hear odd miniature explosions coming from said boxes.**

"This should be fun," Remus chuckled, his mind already spinning on what could be in there.

Harry's first instinct was to disagree, a feeling already rising in him saying he did not like whatever this was at once.

**Hagrid greeted them cheerfully, telling them they should wait for the Slytherins to arrive as he knew they wouldn't want to miss these**

"I know one that doesn't give a rat's ass," Lily muttered.

**Blast-Ended Skrewts!**

Harry watched them all expectantly, but was surprised to find no one here recognized the name. This only managed to increase his unease, but still he asked in normal tones, "so, no fun facts about this?"

"I've no idea what they are," Remus shrugged, his brow wrinkling up showing his displeasure at that statement.

"Maybe something newly discovered," Sirius offered, sounding even more interested now.

**Harry took a look inside the box and found hundreds of little odd creatures. Each were only a few inches long, and a grotesque pink, all climbing over each other with no discernable heads, but many legs that seemed to stick out in odd directions, each with a pincer on the end. The bang noise came whenever one randomly decided to take off by shooting fire out of its rear, propelling it forward.**

"Well that was, fascinating," Lily got out, not really sure how else to put it. She certainly wasn't drawn to, whatever those were, and they hardly sounded like anything she wanted to be around.

"Those really do sound interesting," Remus agreed without the sarcasm. "For some odd reason though, they sound like a cross between manticores and fire crabs."

"Oh come on Remus," Sirius chuckled, "I'm sure it's just something newly discovered. Can you imagine those two things breeding?"

Remus agreed it was a laughable idea, those had just been the first two things he'd thought of that they resembled, but it must be something else.

"Plus, I like to think Hagrid's done enough illegal stuff for a while," James muttered.

**Hagrid was proudly explaining that they'd only just hatched, and they were going to be this class's pet project.**

"That sounds, fun," James said, trying his hardest for some enthusiasm, though he couldn't deny he would have enjoyed the thought more if any of them actually knew what those things were.

**Malfoy arrived on the scene then, demanding to know why they'd want to do such a thing. Hagrid looked stumped at the question.**

" _That's_ encouraging," Lily snorted, unable to stop her mind spinning slightly why Hagrid would hesitate on this. Shouldn't he know that kind of answer before he started the class? She liked Hagrid of course, but she really was beginning to wonder how well adept at teaching he was.

**Malfoy kept going, demanding to know what the point of these things were, but Hagrid said that was for the next lesson.**

"In other words, he has no idea," Remus sighed.

"Please tell me I'm the only one getting a bad feeling about this," Sirius frowned. "Someone tell me they're not thinking what I am."

None of them could though, as the longer this carried on, they were starting to wonder just how new this discovered species was.

**Today they were just to be fed, and Hagrid had collected several different things for them to try since he wasn't sure.**

"And it's still getting worse," Lily grumbled.

**Seamus was grumbling how terrible this morning was going,**

"I'll take the pus, at least I know what it is" Lily sighed.

**as they each began trying to tempt the Blast-Ended Skrewts into eating even though they weren't even sure where the mouth was.**

"Least they can't bite Ron like that," Sirius happily offered.

**The next shout of noise came from Dean, who screeched that one of them had got him.**

"Guess they can still pinch though," James gave a weak smile.

**Hagrid went over to him as Dean explained its back end had exploded on his hand, leaving him with a burn.**

The boys really couldn't suppress some surprised laughter at his expense, anyone getting burned by a creatures butt would be laughed at.

**Lavender called Hagrid over next, asking what a pointy thing on some of them were? Hagrid explained the ones with stingers were likely males, and the others that had suckers on their stomachs were probably female, and they'd use those to suck blood.**

"Well this is just wonderful," Lily sighed, running her hand through her hair while her eyes continued narrowing in suspicion.

"They're getting better by the second," Sirius agreed mildly.

**Malfoy drawled out with sarcasm how he could really see the use of these things, they could burn, sting and bite you all at once!**

"I'd love to give you one," James snarked. "Let it loose in the Slytherin common room."

**Hermione shot back that they didn't have to be cute to be useful! Dragon's blood had all sorts of magical properties, but no one wanted them for a pet.**

"I don't find that a valid point," Sirius shivered.

"I do, though it saddens me Hermione had to make Hagrid's point," Lily shrugged.

"We know she needs to get her word in, she probably just beat him to the punch," James offered.

**Harry and Ron almost laughed, as they knew Hagrid was the exception to that and would love a pet dragon,**

"Again," all five of them muttered with unhappy remembrance.

**or another one at least, as he'd once housed a baby Norwegian Ridgeback he'd deemed Norbert.**

**Class was dismissed then, and as they went back to the castle Ron offered that at least they were small.**

"Dragons are fairly small when they first hatch," Remus sighed, "that doesn't mean how big they'll grow."

"You are not helping," Lily scolded.

**Hermione corrected that they were now, but once Hagrid figured out how to feed them, they'd likely grow.**

"Neither's Hermione," James snorted.

**Ron shot back with a sly smirk that if they cured seasickness, it would be worth it.**

"Well there's that," Sirius gave a laugh.

**Hermione rolled her eyes at him, saying they knew full well she'd just said that to shut up Malfoy. To be honest, she thought he was right in this instance, it would be better to get rid of them while they had the chance.**

"Harsh," Remus said in surprise.

"This coming from the girl who's jumping to every conclusion possible about house-elves, you'd think she'd give these little things a chance," James agreed.

**They made it to lunch then, but while Harry and Ron began piling up their plate, Hermione grabbed everything around her and began eating at top speed.**

"Guess she was _really_ hungry," Sirius raised a brow in surprise.

Harry was getting a feeling, like he knew there was a reason in particular Hermione would be in such a hurry to eat, but didn't press it and instead remained as confused as the rest of them.

**Ron asked if this was her new goal, to make herself puke?**

"That would be more insulting than helpful," James scoffed, "she must know that."

**Hermione managed to get out a no around a mouthful of sprouts,**

Sirius pretended to retch over the side of the sofa at having so many vile vegetables in your mouth at once.

**saying she needed to get up to the library.**

"Aw, I think she missed her real best friend," Remus snickered.

**Ron demanded to know why, they hadn't even been given homework yet.**

"Has that ever actually stopped her before?" Lily snorted.

**Hermione didn't answer though, shoveling the rest of her food away before sprinting off.**

**Harry and Ron ate at their normal pace, then left for their Divination class.**

"I don't suppose since she was so insanely wrong last year about you dying, she'll quit this year?" Sirius asked without any real hope.

"I wouldn't hold your breath," Harry sighed.

**Once the class had all been seated, Trelawny entered as if from the shadows, making most of the students jump. She emerged right next to Harry, and told him she sensed he looked preoccupied.**

"Every student in that school could be considered preoccupied about something," Lily scoffed.

**She continued watching him with those wide eyes, telling him that the thing he feared most would soon come to pass.**

"That was so vague, it wouldn't matter what happened, she'd claim credit for it," Remus rolled his eyes.

**Then she turned away back to the rest of the class, explaining to them that this semester they'd be focusing on the stars. They would be focusing on the movement of the plants to ordain...**

"Isn't this what the centaurs do?" James asked with only vague curiosity, just trying to get her talking to stop for a moment.

"I think it's more elaborate," Sirius shrugged, he really only had the faintest idea like the rest of them, "but yeah, something similar."

**but Harry wasn't listening anymore.**

All four of them couldn't help but laugh at that, none of them could blame him one bit as they'd been hoping her little speech would be cut off soon as well.

**This room had always put Harry to sleep, though today in particular he couldn't help but chew on what she'd said to him.**

Harry had an unhappy little frown on his face again at the thought of that. He knew that she was in fact a real Seer, and she'd made quite a few right predictions last year no matter her agitating personality. What if this was one of them? The thing he was most currently dreading happened to be something would happen to Sirius, but that couldn't be it, right?

**He tried to shake his worry off, Hermione was right and Trelawny was a fraud, and Harry wasn't dreading anything...except that something might have happened to Sirius.**

That caught them all up with Harry's line of thinking, and Sirius couldn't help but lose a few shades of color in shock. He had been the first to believe in this woman's real power, and he'd regretted it ever sense as she continued to somehow manage to make his life hell because of it. There was no way that she was right about this though, he was _fine!_ He had to be, for Harry's sake as well as his own. He knew he'd never forgive himself if something did happen to him, and he'd be virtually leaving Harry on his own again. Until he had concrete proof from this stupid little text that something had happened to him, he smothered that terrible fear and put on a confident smile for the others, feeding the line, "ah, the old quack is just winding you up pup. You know she'd love nothing more than to see she'd gotten under your skin."

Harry gave him a brave smile, but none of that even began to erase their worry which would linger until the moment Sirius' name was cleared.

**Trelawny couldn't know that though. Harry had long since put down her odd predictions to luck.**

Lily longed for the days where she'd believed that.

**Except for last year, where she'd made a true prophecy while in a trance, even Dumbledore had confirmed that.**

Yeah, that was about where all of their suspicions were coming from as well.

**Ron snapped Harry out of his musing, and he jerked around to see that Trelawny was watching him with resentment that he hadn't been hanging on her every word.**

"He had much more important things to be thinking about," Sirius said with as much pompousness as he could put into his tone.

"You think you're more important than Merlin himself," Lily said halfheartedly with none of her usual ire.

Sirius gave her a winning smile which she couldn't help but roll her eyes at.

**She repeated now that she did have Harry's attention that he was most certainly born under Saturn, it was there in his dark hair,**

"That's genetics you beanbag," James snorted.

**mean stature,**

"I fault that to nutrition," Lily scathed under her breath, knowing that while James had been scrawny in his youth, he would have shot up by this age point, while Harry still seemed to be lacking due to his home life.

**and the tragic losses of his young life.**

"Which is always a loving reminder," Sirius got out through gritted teeth.

**She predicted that he'd been born in midwinter.**

All five of them began laughing without remorse at that. Considering all the right predictions she'd made, it was nice to see her be so utterly wrong about this when none of them could still take a lingering eye off of Sirius.

**Harry corrected that he'd been born in July, which made Ron turn his laugh into a cough.**

"He's more restraint than we do," James got out, still laughing so hard at least they were sure that's what he'd said.

**As the class continued, Trelawny gave them all star charts, and told them to map the planets at the time of their birth. It was boring work, as they mostly had to focus on calculations. When Harry was done, he found he had two Neptune's.**

"Probably means you're going to visit the ocean or something," Remus snorted.

**Ron began imitating Trelawney's voice, telling him that two Neptune's meant that a midget in glasses was being born.**

Sirius was starting to list against the arm of the couch he was laughing so hard, still blinking as fast as he could to try and keep himself going even while doing so.

**Across the room, Lavender had Trelawney's attention, asking her to come identify a planet for her. Trelawny said it was Uranus, and Ron whispered if he could have a look at Lavenders Uranus too.**

At least Lily tried to suppress her humor at that one, juvenile as it was, but the joke had been so unexpected she wasn't doing too well.

**Harry, Seamus, and Dean all began laughing loudly at that one, which sadly caught Trelawney's attention, and might have been the reason for their extra homework.**

"Nah, I'll bet she'd have done that even if you did fawn over her," Remus rolled his eyes.

"She seems as strict as McGonagall, without the intentional fun side," James nodded in agreement.

**She wanted a detailed account of the planetary movements for the next month and predictions on how they would affect them, her snappy tone now resembling McGonagall,**

"There's James proof to back it up," Sirius said without remorse. He'd been longing since the first book just to hear about something as mundane as Harry getting extra homework, so despite his pup's put out look, he was going to yuk this up as long as possible.

**and she wanted it Monday!**

**Ron called her a few choice words as they left that day, complaining how that would take them all weekend to do! Hermione caught up with them and asked if they'd been given homework, because Vector hadn't given them any.**

"Wishing more and more I'd taken Arithmancy," Harry grumbled.

**They were on their way down to dinner and had almost made it to the Great Hall when they were hailed by Malfoy.**

"Just keep walking," Lily said hopefully.

"And miss the opportunity to hear what he's got to say," James demanded, pretending to look faint at the idea. "Whatever would he do with himself then?"

**Ron snapped what he wanted, and Malfoy shouted back loud enough for all around to hear that his dad had wound up in the papers again.**

"Well this can't be good," Remus frowned.

"Hasn't always been bad," Sirius countered back with a small twist of his own lips.

**He began reading from a copy of the Daily Prophet the headline that the Ministry was still making mistakes. Rita Skeeter was again the author of the piece as she explained that the Ministry was again in disgrace because of yesterday when Arnold Weasley,**

"Now they're just being insulting," James sneered at the misuse of Arthur's name.

"It should hardly be considered credible if they can't even keep their own simple fact like a name straight," Lily nodded.

**but Malfoy cut himself off there to look up and laugh at Ron that they hadn't even gotten his name right, he really was a nobody!**

"Wish you were!" Harry seethed, tensing up more every line Sirius read.

**Malfoy had the attention of every student around him as he kept reading that Weasley had come to the aid of one 'Mad-Eye' Moody, an ex-Auror who was known for making false phone calls of distress. The aged man could no longer tell the difference between a handshake and an attack on his life, and Mr. Weasley's coming to his aide was a disgrace on the Ministry's behalf.**

"He was asked to come onto that scene!" Lily spat in outrage. "Who the bloody hell is this woman to be saying all of this horrid stuff, what's she have against Arthur?"

"It's not just him," Remus reminded with an ugly look in place, "she's had a go at Bill, remember? They said the whole of the Curse Breakers, but the fact that he was specifically mentioned pops."

"So what's she have against the Weasleys," Sirius sighed.

"Nothing as far as I know," Harry grumbled, "at least Ron's never said anything, so maybe even he doesn't know."

"Maybe Arthur turned her down in school or something, and she's getting revenge," James offered with an almost amused smirk.

"If she's that petty then she's being sad, and you're depressing me," Lily rolled her eyes, flicking her fingers at Sirius to convince him to keep going.

**Malfoy flipped the paper over when he was done, which showed a picture of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in front of their house. Malfoy commented first on the patheticness of the house, then demanded to know if Mrs. Weasley was really that fat, or did the camera do a small bit of it?**

Sirius did not look remotely pleased to have said such a horrid thing, but hoped dearly Harry and Ron would get him back enough that he didn't stop amongst the protest around him.

Harry's face flushed bright red in hatred, despising anyone speaking about Mrs. Weasley like that.

**Ron began shaking in fury, but Harry called out for Malfoy to stuff himself, trying to drag Ron away.**

"You're killing me Harry," James groaned, he wanted to see that brat cursed already!

**Malfoy kept going though, remembering how Harry had been staying with the Weasleys, and demanded of him if she was really that porky?**

"Couldn't say, nobody would notice but an f'ing little shit like you!" Remus growled.

**Harry began to shout back, while having to grab hold of Ron to stop him having a go,**

"I really wish you would stop doing that," Sirius snarled.

Harry had to take a deep breath to answer without shouting, "we were in front of the Great Hall, teachers everywhere, I didn't want to see him end up in detention without even getting proper revenge."

"Sometimes it's worth it," Remus huffed.

**that his own mother had quite an expression on her face when Harry had seen her. He demanded to know if she always looked like she swallowed dung, or was it just because Draco was around?**

"Brilliant dear," Lily made sure he heard her praise amongst the gale of laughter.

Harry didn't look as pleased as he normally would have at his mother's words, he was still too wrung up about why he'd had to throw that insult.

**Malfoy went pink as he yelled at Harry not to insult his mother!**

"Can't take what you dish out?" James sneered.

"Typical of his kind," Sirius nodded.

**Harry suggested he keep his mouth shut then, beginning to turn away, when a shot of light went searing next to his cheek.**

"He tried to curse you, when you were turning around?" Lily snarled.

"Can't say I'm surprised after all the dirty things he's done," Sirius grimaced with disgust, thankful that he'd missed and now Harry would have a chance to retaliate.

**Harry was already spinning back around while reaching for his wand, when he heard the shout of 'no you don't laddie!'**

James went wide-eyed in surprise, wondering who else had stepped in.

**Harry turned properly to find Moody limping down the stairs, at the foot of which where Malfoy had been standing was a white ferret.**

Sirius wasn't sure he'd read that right. He sat there gaping down at the book for several long moments before his eyes convinced his brain he'd really just read the most wondrous fact he could.

Then the others caught on, and all five of them were leaning back into their seating they were laughing so hard.

Only after several minutes did it vaguely subside, and Remus gasped out, "well, no one could say he didn't have that coming."

"A ferret-" James wheezed, "of all the, oh that's so perfect I couldn't have done better!"

Lily collected herself next, smoothing out her hair from her face but still unable to shake the smile this caused. Malfoy was an arrogant little thing who'd thrown the first punch, at Harry's back. No way could she find anything to protest in his getting this treatment.

Sirius got his breath back last, his eyes still watery from laughing so hard, and not sounding like he cared one jot.

**The hall rang with silence as most of Moody turned to look at Harry, while his eye rolled into the back of his head.**

"Cool," Sirius chirped, the more he heard about that thing the more it sounded like a pretty good compensation for losing an eye.

**Moody asked if Harry had been hit, and he said no. Then Moody shouted 'leave it!' Harry asked what he meant, and Moody said he didn't mean him, while gesturing over his shoulder where Crabbe had been fixing to pick up the ferret.**

"He can see out of the back of his own head with that?" Lily asked with mild disgust.

"Can see how that can come in handy though," Remus' grin widened as all the possibilities of this came to mind.

James got a smile in place of agreement before anyone noticed otherwise, but the second Sirius turned back it slipped away again to be replaced with confusion and concern. He just couldn't picture this in his head no matter how fascinating the idea.

**Apparently Moody's magical eye could see through his own skull. Moody turned back around to face the Slytherin trio then, which made the ferret give a terrified squeak and try to make a run for the dungeons.**

"Oh I hope you follow," Sirius begged Harry. "I would pay my weight to see that thing going to Snape, and him trying to figure out what it is!"

Harry gave another light laugh, but somehow got the feeling that wasn't what had happened.

**Moody raised his wand again, and set the ferret ten feet into the air, then lowered him back down to the marble floor with a smack, before bouncing him back up again.**

Causing the boys another round of ungraceful laughter, while Lily's brows shot up in surprise. She wasn't going to say anything about transfiguring him like that, though he was a teacher she reflected and wished he'd show better. But the physical violence was pushing what was called for in this situation.

"Oh come on Lily Flower," James wheedled when he caught sight of her expression. "You know Malfoy deserves this."

"I'm not arguing that," Lily shook her head with a small frown still in place, "but he could really hurt him doing that."

"You worry too much," Sirius scoffed, "you must know Moody won't cause him a permanent injury, just show him a bit of what a waste of space he is."

Lily still couldn't wipe away her concern, but Sirius moved on like she'd agreed with him anyways.

**Moody was talking to Malfoy now, telling him he despised anyone who attacked their opponent with their back turned,**

"I wonder if that might be how he got one of his injuries," Remus considered.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Sirius shrugged.

"Though he has always been against cowardice like that move," James pointed out.

**still bouncing him around with every word as he told that this was a cowardly thing to do.**

Lily sighed as she ran her hand up and down her face, did Sirius have to sound so indulgent as he said all of that.

**The ferret was flailing around trying to escape to no avail.**

**Moody instructed he was never to do that again, every word punctuated with another smack against the floor.**

"I sincerely hope this did teach him a lesson," Remus nodded in agreement, only managing to increase Lily's consternation when Harry nodded as if in agreement.

**Someone shouted Moody's name in shock, it was McGonagall coming down the stairs with her arms full of books.**

"Why is she always carrying so many books around?" Harry asked out of the blue. "She can't have that much time to read."

"She does some other stuff besides teach," Lily happily explained, more than pleased at this change of topic while the boys looked mildly annoyed they'd been distracted from this perfect moment, and now McGonagall was likely going to ruin it altogether. "I know she submits essays and some opinion pieces to the Ministry on a few of the problems the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes division has. I'm sure most of those are for research, though like Hermione I wouldn't be too surprised if she did have just a fun reading novel mixed in there."

"You two get to talking about the weirdest things," James snickered when Harry looked like he was fixing to return with something.

Lily gave him a sharp glare, he was one to talk, but Sirius kept reading loudly to get back on track.

**Moody greeted McGonagall calmly, still bouncing the ferret all the higher.**

"Doesn't even-" which was all Remus could get out before he started laughing again, though forcing himself to be quite enough Sirius would keep going.

**McGonagall asked what he was doing as her own eyes followed the ferret's progress.**

"Isn't it obvious?" James raised a brow at her, thinking she usually caught on faster than that.

"He's just helping out a fellow student," Sirius quickly nodded in agreement as if McGonagall were standing in front of them now.

**Moody responded he was teaching.**

"Well he's not wrong," Harry smirked.

**McGonagall shrieked if that was a student, her books falling in surprise.**

Cracking up all of the boys again, who started snickering like idiots in Lily's opinion. She was watching them indulgently now though, unable to stop her own spark of amusement now that she knew this wasn't going to progress further. At least McGonagall had always been quick on the uptake.

**Moody simply said yep.**

"Not even going to try-" James got out before he was holding his sides in laughter again.

**McGonagall cried no right back,**

"Her reaction's my favorite part," Harry got out, starting to gasp a bit he'd been laughing so hard.

**now sprinting down the stairs and pulling out her own wand and transforming Malfoy back.**

"Aw, she's such a killjoy," Sirius pouted down at the pages, even though he was trying for a sad tone at their fun being gone, it still wasn't getting rid of his amusement one jot.

**She turned on Moody and began scolding him at once that teachers were not to use Transfiguration as a punishment!**

Lily gave a sad sigh, wishing McGonagall had checked to see if Malfoy had an injury or anything.

**Insisting that Dumbledore must have told him that!**

**Moody seemed unconcerned as he said the headmaster might have mentioned it,**

"Oh yes, just a little side not, right along with don't slip Veritaserum into their morning breakfast," Lily snorted.

"Wish you could get away with stuff like that," James said, "it would have made Moony's time there a lot more interesting."

Remus didn't even bother to look abashed.

**but he'd been thinking that a good shock to the boy,**

"Well he definitely got that," Sirius crowed with triumph.

**but McGonagall instructed they were to be given detentions, or to speak to the offender's Head of House.**

"Not effective, and a nuisance," Lily rolled her eyes.

"Taking house points away seems to work best," Harry offered.

"For those who cared," James snorted.

**Moody agreed he'd do that for now, turning his attention back on Malfoy who was muttering something about his father.**

"I swear you could make a recording of him doing that, make him disappear, and no one would know the difference," Sirius snickered.

**Moody limped towards him, snapping at him that he knew his father quite well.**

"I'm hoping Moody wasn't the one investigating him on the charges of being a Death Eater," Remus sighed, "otherwise I'd be really disappointed he couldn't find anything."

"And we know Moody can't be bribed out of whatever he would have found," Sirius nodded in agreement, "so I'm with you, hopefully he just tried at his trial or something and couldn't get through."

**To tell Malfoy senior that his boy was being watched. Then he directed that Snape was his Head of House? Malfoy gave a sulky yes, and Moody declared that was another old friend.**

Lily sadly remembered a time where she would have felt upset at the way this news was delivered, making it perfectly obvious to anyone in the know that he was referring to Snape as a Death Eater as well in that instance, but that ship had sailed long ago.

**Moody agreed he'd been looking forward to talking to Snape anyways, coming forward and seizing Malfoy's arm and dragging him off.**

"I can't believe McGonagall let them go," Harry chuckled. "He may just drag Malfoy out of sight and transfigure him into a slug next."

"We can only hope," Sirius nodded in agreement.

**McGonagall watched them go anxiously, but then summoned her books back to her arms and walked away. Harry and his friends finally made their way into the Great Hall, and sat down, to hear Ron instruct his friends not to talk to him for a moment.**

"He's probably still trying to find where he left his breath at," James snickered, "I know I am."

**Hermione asked why not, and Ron said it was because he was implanting that into his memory, Draco Malfoy the amazing bouncing ferret.**

"I want to get that on a t-shirt," Sirius groaned, unable to believe he could still keep laughing as his head would likely fall off soon, but his body was trying.

**Harry and Hermione both laughed, but Hermione did add on that Malfoy could have gotten hurt. It was good McGonagall had stepped in. Ron snapped at her that she was ruining the best moment of his life!**

"That's the best moment of his life?" Lily snorted. "Poor boys got a long way to go then."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sirius scoffed at her, "I'd make the best patronus in the world with that memory!"

**Hermione ignored him and began eating at top speed again.**

**Harry asked if she was going back to the library, which she agreed to. He tried to protest that she still didn't have any homework, and she cut him off that it wasn't for homework. She cleared her plate in minutes then ran off.**

"What on earth is she up to?" Remus demanded, mildly disappointed they had finally seemed to step off the topic of the ferret.

"Something to do with house-elves I'd presume," Lily said with much more curiosity, she knew she'd like to hear about this.

"Here's hoping Harry doesn't go and check," Sirius sighed.

**Moments later the twins and Lee appeared, telling Harry and Ron about how cool Moody is! They'd just had his class this afternoon.**

"I get a feeling Harry had a better lesson from him than you," James beamed.

**Harry at once asked what it was like, and Fred said it was the best lesson ever.**

"Aw, it's okay Moony, he didn't really mean it," Sirius told Remus with an amused smirk.

Remus rolled his eyes at the teasing, he hadn't taken that personally.

**Lee agreed he _knew_ things.**

**Ron asked for details, and George said that he knew what it was like to be out there doing it.**

**Harry asked doing what?**

**Fred said he knew about fighting the Dark Art's, George adding on that he'd seen it all! Lee finishing that it was amazing to listen to.**

"Those three sound like you three," Lily smiled. "Honestly, he's not the only Auror in the world."

"But he is one of the best," James countered at once.

"He comes from a whole family of Aurors," Sirius added on, "so he's known what he's doing since he was in diapers."

"And he clearly gets results," Remus shrugged, "I wouldn't bet against him in a fight."

Lily started snickering when she realized they'd just proved her point, but wasn't going to pursue it.

**Ron took another look at his schedule, and groaned that they didn't have his class till Thursday.**

"I feel like that's the first time Ron's ever said anything about a class like that," Harry laughed as Sirius handed the book to him.

* * *

* I found it! A lot of people were asking me back during book three why I thought all classes always started on a Monday, and this was my reasoning right here. September 2nd, 1994 was a Friday, not a Monday, so something is off about their days of the weeks compared to ours!


	15. THE UNFORGIVABLE CURSES

Sadly guys this Wednesday update is going to be the new thing. School is officially back and I'm back to once a weeks with all my homework in between plus still having a part-time job. I decided on the day Wednesday because that's the day I have my math class, and I'm going to need something good to look forward to that day.

* * *

Harry began his reading with high spirits, as eager as Ron to get to Moody's first lesson, no matter how much his inner mind was sending off pinging noises every time his name was mentioned.

**The next two days passed without incident, unless you counted Neville melting his sixth cauldron in Potions.**

"In his first week, I consider that impressive," James smirked.

**Snape seemed to have attained new levels of vindictiveness over the summer,**

"Can't say I'm surprised," Lily muttered bitterly.

**and gave Neville detention, which he returned from in a state of nervous collapse, having been made to disembowel a barrel full of horned toads.**

"Eew," Remus shuddered.

"That shouldn't be an allowed punishment," Sirius scowled hotly, "and Neville owns a toad, so that's just extra cruel."

"Actually Sirius, the horned toad is a species of lizard, not of the amphibian kind," Lily corrected.

Sirius looked stumped for a moment, muttering about insane people naming things, before he shook himself and got back on track, "it's still disgusting."

"No one's arguing with you there," James agreed.

**Ron reminded Harry why Snape would be in a particularly bad mood for now, while Hermione showed Neville a spell to get the frog guts out of his nails.**

"I didn't know better," Harry defended when Lily looked like she was fixing to repeat herself. "Just went by the name."

**Harry agreed it was because of Moody.**

"Let's just see him try anything against him," Remus snorted. "Moody'll turn him into a bat for us."

"Can't wait," Sirius said eagerly.

**Everyone knew that Snape wanted the DADA job for himself, and this was the fourth year in a row he hadn't gotten it.**

"Probably longer, as we don't know when he started," Lily corrected, while the boys rolled their eyes at such a minor thing.

**Snape had hated everyone who had gotten the job before, and was never shy of showing it, but something was different about this time. Snape seemed to be going out of his way to avoid Moody.**

James gave a maniacal laugh, as they all knew what that meant.

**Harry suggested that Snape was scared of Moody, and Ron got a dreamy look on his face as he wished Moody would turn Snape into a horned toad for them and bounce him around his own dungeons.**

"A dream come true," Sirius agreed solemnly.

**Thursday arrived, showing the whole of Harry's class lining up outside Moody's class.**

Lily couldn't help a little snort of laughter. She could just imagine McGonagall or someone coming by and seeing that and getting exasperated at this display.

**The only person missing was Hermione, who turned up just in time for the lesson.**

"I'm sure that's a first," Remus chuckled.

**She tried to explain to the others where she'd been, but Harry cut her off saying they knew it was the library, before waving them inside saying he wanted good seats.**

"Seats?" James asked.

"I guess this is a form of show for them," Sirius shrugged in agreement, he was sure they'd have been the same way at Harry's age.

**The trio managed to sit in the front row, pulling out their assigned text. Not moments later, they heard the distinct clunking noise of his wooden foot headed their way.**

"Can't sneak up on anyone anymore can he?" Remus said in surprise.

"It's not like you couldn't put a muffling charm on that if you need to," Sirius shrugged, "he just doesn't while in school."

"Still, he's got to be a lot slower with that thing," James sighed for the guy.

**He entered and told them to put their books away, they wouldn't need them today.**

"Always the best way to start the lesson," Lily smiled.

**Everyone did as told, still looking excited. Moody began calling roll, his normal eye scrolling down the list, his magical one zeroing in on the person who raised their hand.**

"Because that's not creepy at all," James couldn't help a shiver.

**When he was done with that, he told how Professor Lupin had left a letter about this class,**

"Bet that was all kinds of interesting," Sirius snickered.

"Did it start with, warning Harry Potter will give you hell, because everything in the school tries to kill him, so you need to teach him every deadly spell you can," Harry grumbled.

"I doubt I would have phrased it like that," Remus said gently, while the others looked like they wanted to laugh, or would have if that hadn't been so true.

**about how they'd gone over several Dark creatures,**

"Sad that Remus is the only teacher who's actually given any value to this class," Lily sighed.

**such as boggarts, red caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, kappas, and werewolves.**

"The last one was involuntary, but sure that's about right," Remus grumbled.

**The students gave a murmured agreement, as Moody continued that these students were very behind on dealing with their curses.**

"Well he's not wrong," James shrugged.

"I'm blasted you know any useful offensive spells," Sirius agreed.

"I can do my own studying," Harry defended. "I've looked up some stuff for other classes, and just ran across others."

"We're not blaming you dear," Lily quickly corrected, "we're just sad is all. This is a really important class, and the fact that you're so lacking isn't going to help you later."

"You're showing an immense display of skill knowing what you do even with the problems with this class," Remus agreed.

Harry blushed slightly at the praise, since as far as he was aware everyone was at the same level as him except Hermione of course, but the compliments were so unexpected he couldn't find it in himself to argue.

**He continued that was his job for the year, and he only had that time to do it.**

"He's not staying longer?" Sirius pouted.

"Guess Dumbledore can only find a temporary fix now," Remus sighed.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll find a reason to stay," Lily said hopefully, as having a head auror hanging around would certainly make her feel better with all the problems Harry got up to.

Harry couldn't help but wonder why his gut reaction was to correct her, say he wanted nothing of the sort to happen, but then there was again this conflicting feeling inside like he'd enjoy this very much, as he knew Moody to be a good person. He'd never felt such opposite opinions about one man, and to have no idea where they could stem from was starting to drive him crazy

**Ron interrupted to ask why he wasn't staying longer.**

**Moody's magical eye lingered on Ron then, who looked suddenly apprehensive, but then Moody's mouth twisted, making his face look even more contorted than it should,**

Sirius couldn't help a little chuckle.

**as he smiled. Moody confirmed that he was Arthur Weasley's kid, and told how Arthur had gotten him out of a tight spot a few days ago.**

"Least someone acknowledges it," Lily grumbled, still smarting about that article.

**Then he agreed it was only for the year, special favor to Dumbledore, then he'd go back to his quiet retirement.**

All of them gave a laugh at that, clearly his retirement was more entertaining than he was leading on if he set dustbins on people, or cats. At the reminder, they were almost hoping to hear Moody's side of the story to that now.

**He got back on topic then, speaking of Curses. He pointed out that the Ministry guidelines did show that Moody was only supposed to be teaching counter curses, not to show anything illegal or Dark until sixth year, that supposedly they weren't old enough yet.**

Lily was getting uneasy at the way this was starting.

**Dumbledore agreed with Moody though, and decided they could cope with whatever they needed to.**

"Well as long as Dumbledore thinks so," James said with much more sarcasm then he ever would have thought possible, but after everything had come out about Sirius last year, James really couldn't say he was in the headmaster's corner one hundred percent anymore.

**Pointing out how were you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen.**

"Merlin help it, they're fourteen, I don't want to see them having to defend themselves against anything," Lily sighed, more upset than she could put into words that even in this Voldemort free world, she still couldn't bring herself to argue this too much. Oh she'd complain about it, she didn't want her son to _have_ to learn to defend himself, but she couldn't find it in herself either to say that he shouldn't know this either, better safe than sorry.

**He explained that a wizard who was going to use a curse on you wasn't going to warn you beforehand,**

"Not wrong about that," Remus nodded.

**so they need to be prepared, and watchful, and to put that away Miss Brown!**

James did a double take, not sure if he'd heard that last part right.

**Lavender jumped and blushed, she'd been showing Parvati her completed star chart under the desk.**

Sirius let out a surprised whistle, saying, "this thing keeps getting cooler. It can see through desks now! Wonder what else it can see through?"

**Apparently Moody's magical eye could see through solid wood as well. He kept going, asking the students which curses were the most punishable if caught using.**

"Oh, so we're starting at the tippy top," Lily raised a brow.

"It's not a bad idea," James shrugged, "start with the hardest and work your way down, by the time you get to the bottom you'll breeze through them."

"The opposite usually works better," Remus countered, "starting with the basics means you'll have a better handle the farther up you go."

"Both can work for different people," Sirius waved them off, "you really want to sit around and debate the school system, because I don't."

He turned pleading eyes on Harry, who was more than happy to keep going.

**Several hands went up, and Moody called on Ron, who said his dad has mentioned one, the Imperious Curse.**

Harry noticed his dad go a few shades paler in shock at the mention of that curse, so said, "So that's where I learned this," aloud, remembering he'd gone over this with his family back during his second year. James gave him an absent smile as he quickly came back from wherever his mind had been.

Lily was still chewing over the cut off argument the boys had been having, wanting to argue that they were still a spot too young to be learning this, it was seventh year material, but also couldn't push that it was wrong for them to know this either. So long as he didn't teach them the actual incantation, there was no harm in making them aware of these.

**Moody agreed that one used to give the ministry a world of trouble.**

"Living that time," Lily scoffed aloud, "and trouble doesn't quite cover it."

"The people who do have it used on them usually are so torn up about what they did, they don't want to come forward," James explained for Harry.

"While those who probably did it of their own free will, have no problems coming forward and pretending they were forced to," Sirius grumbled.

**Moody went to go fetch a glass jar from his desk then, which contained three spiders.**

The four of them shivered as they realized what was coming, Moody was going to demonstrate these spells on those arachnids. Lily's feelings of unease began rising another few degrees. Now this was definitely pushing the limit.

**Harry felt Ron recoil slightly next to him, Ron hated spiders.**

"And there's that," Remus nodded, thinking this was as close as he'd been to one since his time in the Forest, and it probably wasn't a pleasant reminder for him.

**Moody caught one, and then used the spell 'Imperio.'**

"He couldn't have at least done that silently," Lily sighed.

The boys, really weren't going to argue the point. They all exchanged wary looks, rather as upset as Lily for once on this matter. It wasn't just Harry, but he was the one they were thinking of when the thought of preserving what little innocence he had. He'd already been through so much, and hearing about him learning these spells was just that little extra saddening to them. None of them were still going to say this much out loud, they didn't want Harry to think they thought he couldn't handle it.

**The spider began doing flips and cartwheels around the desk, then rose up on just two legs and began a tap-dance.**

"I didn't even know spiders could do that," Harry said in surprise, unable to imagine the little black body contorting like that.

"If the bodies physically capable of the ability, even slightly though it won't do it voluntarily, the Imperius can have you do it," Remus sighed.

**Everyone was laughing, except the teacher.**

Lily shook her head sadly, thinking this was a good reason right there why these kids shouldn't be shown this spell quite yet. They clearly weren't old enough to realize how horrible this was, even to something like a little spider.

**He growled at them if they thought this was funny, maybe they'd like it placed on them.**

"Least he's keeping them on track," Sirius muttered.

**Explaining that this spell gave total control, he could make anyone do anything. Jump out a window, drown themselves, force this little spider hear to jump down someone's throat...**

James gave an involuntary gag at the mention.

**Ron gave a terrible shudder at that idea.**

**Moody went on to explain that years ago, the Ministry had trouble sorting out who was and wasn't acting of their own free will because of this curse.**

"So there's no way to tell the difference?" Harry sighed. "No looking at a memory through a pensive, or anything?"

"Sadly not," Lily explained. "You can erase the memory of that person being Imperiused, and then you'd just witness what did happen. It's not concrete."

"Veritaserum wouldn't work either," Sirius sadly tacked on. He hated talking about this, it was bringing back bad memories of how he kept picturing his own trial had gone getting him sent into Azkaban, but Harry deserved to know this no matter his discomfort. "Since you'd just admit to the things you did, and if the spell was done up right, you probably wouldn't even know you'd been doing it under the curse."

Harry sighed, thinking that while magic had its advantages, there were clearly so many faults in the system it was sad how easily it could be manipulated for all the cruel people of the world.

**This curse could be fought, which he'd be teaching them,**

"He'll be doing what now?" Lily snapped sharply.

"Chill Lil," James waved her off, "I'm sure he's just going to explain the concept. Even Dumbledore couldn't allow him to actually use that spell on these kids."

Harry got double vision for a moment, his tongue locking up before he settled back and grumbled about his stupid memory messing with him.

**but it took real strength to fight this off. You'd better try and avoid it if at all possible, then he screamed 'constant vigilance!'**

Harry had shouted that so loudly, that he made the others jump, lighting a smile on his face for spooking them like that and managing to distract them, mostly Sirius, from wherever their thoughts had been lingering.

**Moody put the spider back, then asked for another curse. To Harry's surprise, Neville raised his hand.**

"I don't want to know how he and his Gran got into that conversation," Lily shivered.

Harry was getting a foreboding feeling, like he'd be much happier if Neville had no idea about some Unforgivable spell in particular...

**The only class Neville ever volunteered information was Herbology, even Neville looked surprised at his own daring.**

"Poor kid," Remus smiled lightly, wishing that Neville had more confidence in himself more often. He'd clearly done well in this class given the right encouragement, hopefully Moody would help that along more.

**Moody called on him, and Neville managed to get out the Cruciatus Curse.**

There it was. Harry felt a distinct blow to his gut, hearing Neville talk about this put him on edge in a terrible way. He tried to shake it off when the others noticed, but it wasn't working that well. Something was lingering, something he knew deep down would be terrible to learn.

**Moody's eyes lingered on him, asking that his name was Longbottom? Neville gave a nervous nod, but then Moody moved on.**

"Why did he ask?" Lily couldn't stop herself from asking, her voice cracking with unease.

No one answered her, a thought flickered across their mind at the implication both Moody and Harry had given, but none of them could press it without finding something they didn't want.

**He went back to his jar of spiders and got a fresh one, explaining the spider should be bigger for them to see this effect, then used the spell 'Engorgio.' Ron recoiled in horror and pushed his chair back as the spider swelled.**

"Guess Ron regrets his front row seat now," Sirius muttered.

**Then Moody switched spells, and shouted 'Crucio.' The spider rolled onto its back and began rocking from side to side, its legs spasming. Harry could tell that if it could, it would be screaming.**

The four of them felt a terrible shiver. They'd all felt the brunt of that curse, it tended to be a favorite of Death Eaters trying to incapacitate someone long enough to run, and the reminder on something even as small as a spider wasn't a pleasant one.

Harry felt lucky, if sad for thinking so, that he only had to witness this happening to a spider, hoping dearly right now this was all he'd have to deal with in regards to that spell.

**Moody kept at it, until the spider's movements began to become more jerky and it was shuddering, until Hermione screamed at him to stop it.**

Lily couldn't help but sigh with relief. She had no shame in admitting that was starting to disturb her, and wasn't surprised it would get to several kids in that class.

**Harry looked at her, but saw that she was watching Neville,**

"Oh dear," Remus muttered, leaning into the couch in fear as this wasn't helping them lessen their worry of why Neville would be reacting so badly to this.

**who was white knuckled and gazing forward with wide, terrified eyes.**

"Ooh," Lily muttered, wanting to go over there and give the boy a hug. She wasn't sure if they were guessing insanely wrong, and she hoped she was, and he had some kind of personal experience with this curse or if he in particular was having a bad reaction, but either way this was a moment where a boy should be reassured it was okay to be freaking out.

**Moody released the spell and shrank the spider back to normal size, explaining to the class that you didn't need knives to torture people when you had the Cruciatus. That had been a very popular one at a time to.**

"Here's to dying out spells," James shivered.

**He put the spider back and asked if anyone knew another. No one answered, like they were all afraid to see what would happen to the next spider.**

"I already know, and I don't want to see it," Harry sighed.

**Then, for the third time, Hermione finally gave a shaky hand raise.**

"Why does she know this?" James balked, realizing this for the first time. "Just what the bloody hell kind of book is she reading to have come across this, you'd think this would be restricted section material."

"Merlin only knows," Sirius sighed, "we can hardly claim we were saints in getting to know some information. Hermione's just doing the same thing, but not exactly putting it to the same uses."

**Moody called on her, and Hermione answered 'Avada Kedavra.' Moody agreed with another twist of his mouth.**

"I don't like it when he smiles anymore," Lily grumbled.

**Agreeing the last and worst, was known as the Killing Curse. He went back to the jar and placed the spider on the desk, where it stood frozen.**

Lily couldn't help it. She wasn't a fan of spiders by any means, but she could feel her face tightening in displeasure for what she knew was coming.

**Without any kind of hesitation, Moody raised his wand and cursed the spider with 'Avada Kedavra,' and with a flash of green light, the spider lay dead.**

"I personally wouldn't have demonstrated that spell on a spider in front of Ron," Sirius tried in vain to shoot some humor around again, this depressing mood was driving him crazy. "Now that's going to be Ron's solution to every spider he sees."

"Hopefully Hermione will convince him his boot will work just fine," James added on out of obligation, still to on edge to really have his fun.

**Several students almost screamed, Ron nearly toppled out of his chair as the body went skidding in his direction.**

**Moody swept the tiny black body off his desk without concern, addressing the class to explain that there was no countercurse to that spell, no way to block it. Only one person had ever survived, and he was in here.**

Harry watched the faces around him drain of all color. They had certainly guessed this, evidence had been piling up since Harry's remembered dementor memory coupled with his knowledge that if he struggled to remember on his own he'd find a flash of green light and that was it. It was just, put like that, it seemed unreal. How had Harry survived that? How had Lily actually found a way to protect him from it? She'd died to save his life, Dumbledore had made that clear, but how on earth was this possible? Lily couldn't have been the first mother to step in the way of her child's death, so why wouldn't any of those instances counted in saving another child's life. If they were understanding this right, then Harry's situation shouldn't have been as unique as it was.

Yet Moody himself had just confirmed as much...which meant that something more was going on. Something had to have happened other than just Lily staying in that line of fire without moving.

Harry sat there in a state of unease as he tried to understand why Moody would even know that. How would anyone know these details?* He'd only worked them out because of his dementor experience, but then he presumed that the rest of the populace must have just pieced it together from the scene they'd walked in on. After all, the Avada Kedavra curse seemed a preference of Voldemort, and they would have seen the effects of it being used on James and Lily. Then they most likely would have seen the body of Voldemort, but Harry still sitting in his crib, and rightly assumed it had rebounded from the child, hence his fame.

Lily was starting to get goosebumps all up her body as she tried to piece together what else could have happened that night, if somehow James had also been involved, but the longer she thought about it the harder it was getting to breathe. No one wanted to think about their final moments, even if they had been the reason her son had lived.

James wasn't any better, his throat tightening like he was being forced to hear about Lily's final moments all over again, the thought of his only son being abandoned in that crib for Merlin knew how long before Hagrid found him with only the corpse of his mother for company. He couldn't get his brain past that appalling image to think on anything else.

Remus and Sirius exchanged an unspeakable look, knowing that it would break them apart inside to do so, but they were the best ones who could actually sit around and talk about this, they wouldn't dream of keeping the others around for it, but someone had to figure out what the bloody hell had happened to make this possible, it could save their lives if they could find a way to activate this earlier somehow.

They couldn't do anything now though, it would be disastrous if they tried to convince them to cut the chapter off for now because all three would protest they could handle it and try to join in, they were that kind of stubborn. So the two of them silently agreed they'd wait until later, and for now they did what they did best, caused a distraction.

Remus snuggled up next to Lily, platonically wrapping his arm around her and giving the baby in her lap a playful tickle and saying, "well this sucks."

Sirius gave an extra loud snort, telling him, "you have a way of understating things. You're not wrong though, so how about we get to the end of the lesson. I want to gripe at Moody for giving you homework."

James was still shaking his head slowly from side to side, clearly vacant to everything around him, so Harry wriggled up to his side, only hesitated for a second, before throwing an arm around him and promising, "I get it. Do you want to stop, or-"

"No," James muttered, "just keep going."

Harry exchanged a look with Sirius, but couldn't find a reason to argue either.

**Harry felt his face flush in shock, as all eyes turned to him. Harry stared down at the dead spider, and wondered if that's what his parents had looked like, unmarked and unblemished?**

'Okay, I lied, I want him to stop now' James tried to rasp that out, his mind certainly screamed it loud enough in his head, but the words closed off and Harry kept going almost feverishly, clearly struggling to get this out loud.

It was one of those terrible moments where Harry was actually pretty bitter at this book for publicizing all of his personal thoughts like this, something he never would have shared with those around him.

**Was the last thing they'd seen a flash of green light, before nothing?**

'Yeah, that about covers it' Sirius whimpered, desperately latching onto the first memory he could to stop himself from crying, thinking of his brother that way, and instead he saw a white ferret bouncing around, and it cultivated into a strange look on his face that the others chose to ignore.

**Harry had been picturing his parent's death for three years now. He knew they'd been betrayed by Wormtail,**

The three Marauders still gave an involuntary flinch every time that was mentioned.

**and handed over to Voldemort,**

Because they had just _loved_ hearing about all of that the first time through.

Not one of them could say a word to Harry though, what could they say? Snap at him for dwelling on all of this, they'd probably be more concerned for his well-being if he pretended he never did. These were his private thoughts, terrible as they were, and they just wanted this part to be over, so none of them dared speak a word.

**who had arrived and killed Harry's father first. James had tried to fight him off, telling his wife to run with their son, but Voldemort had killed him, then his mother, before turning his wand on Harry. Harry knew these details, because whenever he was around a dementor he heard his parent's final moments.**

Harry speed read through all of that, detesting how it made each of them look likely to faint any moment, hating himself for dwelling on it when it only caused them pain. If there was anything he ever wanted to skip in these books, it's whenever mention of this came up.

**Moody was still talking, and Harry had to struggle to pay attention.**

'Thank Merlin for that' was the first thing Lily coherently thought, twisting a strand of hair around her finger in agitation, the comfort of Remus at her side and her baby on her lap all that was holding her together. It was taking everything in her not to go over and curl into James chest here and now, but she refused to show just how upset this was making her, she had to be stronger than that.

**He was still talking about the curse, how much magic it required to use. The students could pull out their wand right now and try, and Moody wouldn't even get a nosebleed.**

"Be fun to try," Sirius said viciously, irrationally blaming Moody for having brought all of this up again.

**Moody wasn't here to teach them how to use the spell though,**

"Could have fooled me," Remus growled so low no one was sure of the exact words.

**he was here to show them the worst of the world, so they'd be prepared. Then he screamed 'constant vigilance!' at them again.**

Harry couldn't stop himself from shouting that again, though this time not a smile was seen. Harry had let that loose with primal emotion, the need to shout his frustration at his family's soon to come situation coming out in those two words. He regretted it when he saw how hard they all jumped, it clearly hadn't done anything to help, but when a rebuke didn't come he kept going, realizing they all understood why he had.

**He went back to teaching, saying that the three curses were known as the Unforgivable Curses. Using any of these three on another person would get you a sentence in Azkaban.**

'That's not the only way' Sirius couldn't help but hiss, forcing himself to only say that in his head, no need to bring up something he preferred to avoid.

**This was what the world was up against, what you were going to be fighting! You had to be prepared, armed, and always vigilant.**

'I don't want to be an auror anymore.' James hadn't even realized he'd thought that for a moment, but then he considered it, and realized how deeply he meant it. He'd pictured himself being the hero, hauling in all those terrible Death Eaters who dared harm Muggles and Muggleborns like his wife. It wasn't until Moody had showed off all of this though did the full impact of that job really sink in, how much it would cost him if he did pursue this. Sure he knew about a lot of this stuff from his own time in his DADA classes, but none of his teachers had ever managed to make it seem so realistic. He tried to brush all of that away for now though, knowing better than to try and make a life decision in the heat of the moment.

**For the rest of the lesson they took notes on the Unforgivable Curses, and no one spoke again until class was dismissed. The students barely made it out of the door however, when they all burst into excited chatter about all the spiders had done. Harry watched them speak of the lesson like they'd just seen some great show.**

"This probably went without saying, but I'm saying it anyways," Sirius grumbled, "I still prefer Moony. He would have gotten through those kids thick heads this isn't a stupid game."

"Thanks," Remus said sincerely.

"I think this just proves they were too young for that lesson," James sighed, "I still don't think we can claim any better if we'd been shown that our fourth year instead of seventh. Even Moony might not have gotten that through to them."

"Thanks," Remus repeated with a touch of sarcasm this time.

**Hermione wasn't listening though, forcing her way through the crowd and hurrying her two friends along, and when asked where she was trying to rush off to, she pointed down a side corridor where Neville had hidden himself.**

"Oh the poor dear," Lily sighed, wrapping her arm even tighter around her own infant. Neville had seemed like a really sweet and sensitive boy to her so far, she hated to think what this had done to him.

**Neville was alone, looking vacantly out the window, his eyes still as wide as when he'd seen the Cruciatus Curse in action.**

"He definitely knows someone that's been through that," James gave a blistering sigh at finally having said what they were all thinking.

"Or it was used on him," Sirius said lowly.

"Sirius!" Lily shirked, "he's fourteen, what the bloody hell-"

"You can't pretend it's never happened," Sirius cut her off with steel gray eyes.

Harry was watching all of them with a deep sense of fear now. He wanted desperately for them to stop talking about this, he didn't want to keep hearing about it, because the more they did, the more sure he was they were on the right track. Thankfully he was the one with the book in his hands, so he kept going loudly.

**Hermione whispered his name quietly, and Neville turned around on autopilot as he began trying to ask what dinner would be.**

"Don't think I could eat a bite actually," Remus sighed.

"He wasn't actually speaking to you, ya twat," James made his first attempt at a smile this chapter at teasing his friend.

**Hermione asked if he was okay,**

"Oh he's clearly peachy, and you," Sirius huffed.

**Neville agreed everything was great, speaking of the interesting dinner and what would be for their lesson, err food.**

Lily pursed up her lips so tight they went white. She'd already felt horrible enough today because of the confirmation of her death, which felt imminent at this point. To see the affect it had on her family was terrible to watch, but to see it even being put on another innocent boy somehow still managed to make it worse.

**All three of them were watching him with a half terrified look, unsure of how to comfort him, when the clunking footsteps of Moody announced his arrival. He instructed Neville to come have a cup of tea with him.**

"Aw," Lily cooed, her eyes finally shining with light other than threatening tears. "He actually recognized what he did bothered him, and he's trying to help."

"Moody's an old softie, especially on those he deems worthy," James gave a slight smile.

Harry didn't hear a word of this, because he was fighting back the urge to start swearing colorfully. Something about the idea of Moody trying to comfort Neville, of even being in the same room with him, set him so terribly on edge. He tried to lightly dig into this feeling, wondering if Neville was in danger and he should be worried, but all Harry felt was a sense of wronged. Had Moody done something to Neville? Bright spots were beginning to flash across his eyes from the pain of even doing this, and by the time he phased back into the conversation, he realized they were all watching him with real concern.

"Harry, are you okay?" Sirius got out first with something like genuine fright on his face. "You looked really ticked off there for a second, does Moody take away your broom or something?"

Harry shook his head sadly, sighing deeply before saying, "can't say, just know that bothered me for some reason. I'm sure it's nothing, I think I'm just worried Moody makes things worse, or something."

"That could be it," Remus agreed fairly. "He's not exactly the cuddly grandpa type."

"At least he's trying," Lily defended.

Harry gave them the best smile he could muster, couldn't quite hold it long enough to be believable, but still he pressed on reading before anyone could keep going.

**Neville looked terrified at the idea and looked wildly to the trio, but none of them could come up with a way to protest. Moody turned to Harry and asked if he was alright, and Harry gave a defiant yes back. Moody nodded like this didn't surprise him, then turned back to Neville and explained he knew this seemed harsh, but they had to know this stuff. Then he began steering Neville away, telling him there were some books he'd have an interest in.**

"Maybe if he was Hermione that would have helped," Remus tried for a laugh, which fell flat when he noticed Harry's unease at Moody giving Neville a book somehow seemed significant to him. What on earth could that be about?

**Neville gave one last pleading look back, but followed in Moody's wake. Ron asked what all that could have been about, but none of them had an answer.**

"I can't even honestly say I want to know anymore," Lily shivered, too many horrible thoughts fleeing across her mind.

**They started walking towards the Great Hall then, Ron still talking about the lesson as he agreed with Fred and George, Moody really knew his stuff. He was still impressed by that Avada Kedavra curse, the way that spider had just snuffed it-**

"That's right Ron, focus on the spider," Sirius said in a too high pitched voice.

**but he quickly fell silent at the look on Harry's face. All three of them remained quiet as they made their way down to dinner, where Hermione began eating at top speed again before running off for the library.**

"Missed but never forgotten," Remus said, meeting James eyes fleetingly, but continuing as if in a joke with a rather forced smile he'd never admit to. "I'm starting to get the feeling that's just going to be the pattern for most of the year until she finds whatever's bothering her."

**The boys ate before going up to their tower, where it was Harry who brought up the curses again, asking if Moody or Dumbledore would get in trouble for showing them those curses?**

"The ministry doesn't interfere in Hogwarts," Lily shrugged. "It's at the headmaster's discretion what his students learn. Dumbledore clearly thinks you can take it."

**Ron agreed they could, but Dumbledore has always been able to do whatever he wanted. They found their favorite spot by the fire and decided they should get started with their Divination homework.**

"Well don't get too excited," James muttered, "it'll ruin all the fun of the work."

**They went up to their dorm, to find Neville alone**

"Oh good," Lily chirped, more than happy to be thinking on anything else now, even if Neville wasn't exactly a happy topic. "You didn't mention him at dinner and I was a little worried."

**reading a book. He looked more like himself, though his eyes were a little red rimmed.**

They all let out pitiful sighs, wanting to know what had struck him so bad, terrified of getting the answer.

**Harry asked how he was doing, and Neville happily said he was doing fine now, showing off the books Moody had given him 'Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean.'**

"And Neville's best subject is Herbology," Remus smiled warmly.

"So Moody really did go out and help him," Lily crooned happily.

Harry put up a strained smile in agreement, he knew this was a very good thing that had clearly made Neville feel better, so what about the mention of this book was sending off alarm bells for him?

**Professor Sprout had mentioned to Moody that his best subject was Herbology, with some pride now in his tone.**

"Which should be there more often," James said fairly. "Everyone's got their strengths."

"He's been getting more confidence every year," Sirius nodded happily.

**Harry smiled, pleased to hear that Neville had been cheered up like this. Moody slipping in Sprout's praise was a tactful way to do so, it was something Professor Lupin would have done.**

Remus flushed bright red at the praise, but no one denied that they'd actually been thinking the same thing about him.

**Harry and Ron went back downstairs to do their work then, which was tedious at best. Hours later of working on sums and symbols and they hadn't progressed at all.**

"You're putting way too much strain into a class that you both hate, and is irrelevant to your life," Sirius snorted.

"Don't be like that," Lily scolded. "I don't like the class much either, but you don't want him getting a T in the class just to spite the teacher, that's like cursing your own nose to spite your face."

"I doubt he's getting a career to do with Divination," James sided with Sirius, "and everyone's got one flunk class. No need to deter him from more important things."

"It's not as if he's got any other homework to be doing," Remus sighed, "so it's good he's keeping his priorities up and doing that first."

"Why did we keep you around again?" Sirius snorted, now trying to get Harry to move on.

**Ron finally suggested they just do the old Divination standby.**

Causing all three Marauders to laugh at that.

Lily gave Remus the stank eye in particular, saying, "you'd just agreed with me he should be doing this, why are you laughing that he's not even going to be doing it properly."

"I agreed it shouldn't be ignored," Remus admitted with a smirk, "I never said to what degree. It's a class where for his final exam last semester he made up something. I think you can get away with the homework in the same style."

"Now I remember why we kept you around," James cackled.

**Harry quickly agreed to the idea, and watched Ron begin jotting down on his parchment that on Monday he'd get a cough because of Mars and Jupiter. Then he reminded Harry that all they had to do was make it bad things, and she'd eat it right up.**

"It's sad how true that probably is," Lily finally acquitted.

**Harry started his own now, saying that on Monday for him he'd likely to be burned. Ron agreed that was true, as they'd be dealing with the skrewts again.**

"Harry's obviously pretty good at this," Sirius snickered along, knowing it would be pointless to offer a few suggestions, but wanting to anyways.

**Harry moved on to Tuesday, where he decided he'd lose a possession. Ron began writing that Mercury would cause him to stab a friend in the back.**

Harry was starting to get an odd sensation at Ron saying that...had Ron just made a real prediction in the form of a joke again? It wouldn't be the first time, though he really disliked this one.

**Harry wrote that on Wednesday he'd lose a fight, and Ron agreed on his own that he'd lost money to that fight.**

"At least they're having fun doing their work," James beamed, "can't say that about too much homework."

Lily couldn't help a light giggle at that.

**The predictions became steadily worse as the night wore on. Crookshanks joined them at some point, sitting in a chair and watching them with a disapproving look as if his owner were there instead.**

"Even Hermione couldn't get at you for this one," Remus pouted, "she hates Trelawney as much as you."

"Wouldn't stop her from lecturing us on the proper procedures of homework," Harry smiled indulgently at the thought of his friend.

"Still love that cat," Sirius inserted with high amusement.

**Harry was looking around the room for some inspiration when he spotted Fred and George off to the side, looking over some parchment with a quill.**

"Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes again?" James asked hopefully.

"Their mum can't tell them off for it now," Sirius agreed happily.

Harry though wasn't so sure. He didn't know why, since his initial reaction had been that Fred and George would keep at their joke shop dream, so this would be a perfect opportunity for them. What else could it be about?

**This was an odd sight, as those two were usually in the middle of everything, not tucked away.**

"Best place to be," James sighed, trying to look back fondly at some old memories that hadn't been tainted yet. He and Sirius were the sort of spokespersons for the Marauders, always the center of every crowd, whereas Remus and...well he kept off to the side and preferred to stay out of the limelight, which was better for him.

**There was something secretive about their behavior now, and Harry didn't think it had anything to do with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, as otherwise they would have invited Lee.**

"Maybe, maybe not," Sirius shrugged. "It depends on how much they trust him as a business partner, or just an idea generator, or what."

"Maybe he's out doing something else at the time," Remus agreed, "and they'll show him later."

"Good ideas don't come at your own timing," James nodded sagely.

**He wondered whether it had anything to do with entering the Triwizard Tournament.**

"Now that I'll believe," Lily grumbled.

Harry though still didn't look satisfied with any of these answers. Something wasn't clicking right.

**Most everyone had gone to bed by now, so though he spoke quietly, George's words carried across the common room about how they couldn't phrase it like that, it sounded like they were accusing him.**

"Err," James said with a lot of unease that time.

"Accusing who of what?" Remus frowned.

"If we knew, you wouldn't have just asked," Sirius snarked at him.

Remus stuck his tongue out at him, but no one really could come up with an answer for what that could mean.

**George looked up and around then, and Harry quickly turned away so that he wouldn't be spotted listening, but not moments later the twins went off to bed.**

"Well that's not encouraging," Lily muttered as her face puckered up in thought.

"Accusing?" James repeated with a ruffled brow. "You think they caught someone doing something illegal?"

"Can't be anyone at the school," Sirius muttered, running his hand through his hair, "can't imagine why they'd write out a letter for that, they'd just confront the person."

"We haven't really seen the twins doing anything that none of the other Weasleys have though," Remus grumbled. "So when could they have come across this?"

"You think this is the same thing they were doing over the summer?" Lily offered. "Which means it had to have happened around the time of the Cup."

"The only difference there was the bet they set up with Bagman," Sirius shrugged, "and he paid them back."

"Maybe they're looking into whoever mugged Bagman," James said, clapping his hands together as he thought he got it. "We thought something like that had happened when Harry saw him in the forest, remember? What if the twins figured it out, and they're trying to get him to turn himself in."

Harry was starting to fidget a bit, getting the feeling they were definitely on the right track, but there was some glaring oversight that one of them had said that made the whole thing fall through. He couldn't imagine what though. He had seen Bagman pay the twins back, and Bagman had looked pretty tossed around, so surely his dad was right.

They were out of ideas for now though, so Harry kept going.

**Hermione came in a while later, with a sheaf of parchment and a rattling box. Ron finished his homework with a flourish as she took her seat, and she automatically pulled his work towards her.**

"I swear that's second nature to her by now," Harry chuckled lightly, happy to move on to a subject that wasn't depressing or didn't give him a headache, which is what the majority of this chapter had been doing to him.

**Hermione sarcastically asked that they weren't going to be having a good month. Ron happily lounged back as he said at least they were warned.**

Giving them all a light moment of laughter again.

**Hermione was reading down the list and pointed out that he was drowning twice.**

"Guess it can happen to the best of us," Sirius happily shrugged, while Harry felt yet another twang inside him, something about Ron in the water?

**Ron reached over to change that to being trampled by a hippogriff.**

"Now that's out there," Remus said mildly. "As you avoid the Forest."

"But he was forewarned," James said back with wide insistent eyes, unable to wipe the smirk off his face. "So now he would know not to go in there."

"You're all impossible," Lily chuckled.

**Hermione told them that it was obvious they'd made these up,**

"So?" All five of them muttered, as they doubted Trelawney could prove otherwise, or would care.

**but Ron said in mock outrage that they'd worked really hard on these! Harry finished his as well, his final prediction being that he'd die by decapitation.**

"Now that's a lovely one," James snorted.

"You should get an O just for that," Sirius nodded eagerly.

**Then he asked what was in the box, and Hermione gave an annoyed look at Ron as she said how happy she was he brought it up,**

"She can't even take a joke," Remus sighed, though admittedly intrigued as clearly they'd been right, whatever Hermione had on her may have something to do with her sudden house-elf fascination.

**She took off the lid and showed them several brightly colored badges that said S. P. E. W.**

"Spew?" James asked in confusion.

"Why did she make a bunch of badges encouraging people to put milk out their nose?" Sirius agreed.

"You're disgusting," Lily snickered.

"What, it's what people do when they-" Sirius began to defend himself, before James reached around Harry and whacked him to get him to stop, waiving Harry on so they could see what this was about.

**Harry asked what spew was, and Hermione corrected you were supposed to say the letters, it stood for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare**

"And that is?" Remus asked with his head cocked to the side, must be something really new.

**Ron said he'd never heard of it, and Hermione agreed that was because she'd just started it.**

"Oh," all five of them finally caught on.

"Well, I guess I can see Hermione's line of thinking," Lily said slowly. "She couldn't find anyone to care about what was going on with the elves, so she started her own campaign. I rather like it," she finished, clearly warming to the idea.

"Could have gone through some better names first," Sirius snorted.

"Like you lot are any better," Lily said back stoutly. "Marauders? That's not exactly original."

"I blame McGonagall," James said a little too loudly, and Harry and Lily were a little surprised to see some strain coloring all three boys now. "She called us that during our first year, when we were all caught together the first time, and ah, it- it just kind of stuck-"

Harry turned back to the book quickly now, trying to keep reading loudly to change the subject. Neither him, nor his mother, really needed further explanation. Cleary McGonagall had called them that first, but if the boys reactions were anything to go by, it had been Pettigrew who suggested they use it as their group's name. Thinking back, they'd also mentioned it had been the rat's ideas for their own nicknames. It must hurt them dearly to have an almost constant reminder of how much he'd had to do with their life, and Harry wasn't going to let it linger longer than he could.

**Ron asked how many members she had going, and Hermione said when they joined, three. Ron asked why he'd want to walk around with a badge that said spew.**

"That'll get you attention at least," Sirius tried to get out around his gritted teeth.

**Hermione again corrected to say just the letters, saying that she'd wanted to call it 'Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status'**

Remus forced his mind to concentrate on every letter, it was far easier to think on then other things at the moment, and instead said, "S. O. A. O. F. M. C. is kind of a mouthful, how would you even pronounce that?"

"Still think it would have been better she'd gone with that," James shrugged, "less easy to make fun of.

**but decided that would be their manifesto instead, now showing them her parchment.**

"It's actually rather nice to see she's trying so hard," Lily grinned, "if anything, I believe it will draw attention to what she's trying to do."

"For better or worse, let's find out," Sirius sighed.

**She'd been doing research in the library since she got here, and discovered that elf enslavement went back centuries. She found it shocking no one had done anything before now.**

Sirius opened, then closed his mouth, deciding he didn't want to start something with Lily again.

**Ron said an extra volume too loud to get her attention, that they liked being enslaved!**

Though thankfully he seemed to have Ron to say it for him, as Sirius gave a slight laugh. That'd been pretty close to what he was going to say.

Sirius managing to give a genuine laugh again finally managed to distract James and Remus from their school thoughts again, and Harry eagerly kept going now that he had their full attention.

**Hermione kept going like she hadn't heard him, stating their short term goals, which would be to get house-elves common pay, and their long term goals were to include changing the laws for non-wand users and getting an elf representative into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.**

"Ironically, it's the short term goals she may have the most issue with," Remus said with honest interest. "As you'd be going directly into the house-elves way of life trying to get ahold of that. It's the other two that I can see her really making a change of, as house-elves aren't the only ones suffering those problems. She could rally more troops for that cause."

"I think I know what Hermione wants to do when she grows up," Sirius said brightly, "take on Lily's job in the Legislation department."

"She could be the next Minister of Magic," James agreed with only a small portion of that being mocking.

**Harry asked how she planned to do all that, and she said their first goal was to start recruiting, getting members to join. It only cost two Sickles for the badge, she had a collecting tin upstairs she needed to give to Ron as he would be treasurer, and Harry was to be secretary, so he should start writing all of this down as their first meeting.**

"Oh that's nice, tell me all this after you've said everything," Harry snorted.

"I just love how she automatically assumes they'll go along with this," Lily chuckled, "as they've given no indication before now they care."

"Good friends don't need to rely on their backup," Sirius said wisely.

**Hermione paused for a moment to beam at them, and Harry was torn between exasperation at Hermione, and hilarity at the look on Ron's face.**

"Can't deny I'd have loved to see that," Remus laughed.

**They were saved from responding though by Hedwig tapping at the window.**

"Yes!" They all couldn't help cheering. None of them would admit until this moment just how truly terrified they'd all been Hedwig wouldn't show up again, and the next time they'd get a mention of Sirius would be in the papers announcing his Kiss.

**Harry bolted to the window, shouting how it was about time. Hermione eagerly asked what Sirius had written,**

"Give him a chance to read it," James said with an undisguised sigh of relief.

**but when Harry opened it, he found it was incredibly short. He chose to read it aloud, starting with Sirius saying he was flying back.**

"You're what?!"

The baby began wailing in shock, but Lily quickly tried to sooth him down without taking her eyes off of Sirius.

James, Remus, and Lily had screeched that at about the same time, Harry had kept looking dumbstruck at the page, making Sirius wince and rub at his ear in pain, but he had a fighting look already set in place as he shot back, "good for me."

"Are you insane?" Lily got out first, she looked like at any second she was going to start strangling him, a menacing accomplishment while holding a child. "You can't come back, it's too dangerous for you. You're bleeding lucky those dementors aren't back at the school this year, but you still can't risk anyone seeing you on the grounds!"

Sirius was glaring around at all of them, clearly seething, but-

"I'm with Lily on this one," James surprised him by saying. When Sirius turned to argue with him instead, he found something quite surprising.

James looked almost fragile as he watched Sirius, a description that no one could usually give to James Potter, but he looked it now. Sirius reflected that after everything that rat had put them through last year, well the way James was looking at him now made it clear what he was thinking. He confirmed as much when he kept going in a still too tight tone, "I can't hear about you going back to Azkaban Sirius. Unless something really, really bad is happening, you need to stay as far away from Harry as you can."

"Harry's scar hurting again is a bad sign," Lily quickly agreed, "but there's no need to put yourself in extra danger until something more concrete happens." She was still trying, futilely, to deny that the Dark Mark was just as terrible a problem and would bring Sirius back just as much.

Sirius sighed as he glanced between the two, then he glanced at Remus who'd remained quiet through this. He however just shrugged, saying, "Look, I'm not judging you Sirius, you've got more than enough people in this world doing that, I'm just begging you to think for a second. It's not logical, in fact it's the opposite, not to mention it terrifies me! You really think I want to sit here and read you got yourself killed, well, being you!"

Sirius grumbled under his breath for a moment, but clearly outvoted he instead redirected, "okay, fine, but I don't know what you're all yelling at me for! It's not like I'm going to do this tomorrow!"

That at least gave them all a pause, recognizing that though they feared for his future, telling him off for this now really wasn't doing any good.

Harry at least managed to keep going without his panic bubbling over. Surely if they could convince him of this now, Harry could get the same thing through to him before he made it back.

**News had reached his ears about what all was going on, and it was good that Dumbledore had put Moody in the school, at least he was reading the signs.**

"What signs?" Harry asked.

The four of them exchanged unhappy looks, but they weren't going to lie to him either.

"Your war has started a lot the same way ours had, did," James sighed, skipping past the time jump. "Random disappearances of people, or at least one that we know of. Maybe it's just because we know who did kill poor Bertha, but I'm sure there's a lot more going on you're not hearing about."

"I'd like to think Dumbledore may be keeping me in on that loop though," Sirius kept going. "So maybe I know more than I put in so far."

"That Dark Mark probably gave you heart failure as well," Remus sighed.

Harry smiled around at them all, happier than he could put into words that they'd actually bothered to explain all of that to him. He wasn't sure why this in particular would mean so much to him, but it was nice they weren't trying to hide this from him at least. It didn't exactly put him back in a good mood as he kept going though.

**He promised he'd be in touch, then signed off.**

**Harry was gaping down at the letter, while Hermione voiced her worry that he was coming back, and Ron asked about the signs?**

**Hedwig was sitting on Harry's lap, but gave a startled jump when Harry hit himself in the forehead, exclaiming how he shouldn't have told him!**

"Oh come on pup," Sirius began whining at once. "You're first reaction to something I'm doing, is to turn and blame yourself."

"I don't want you coming back Sirius," Harry said at once with too wide eyes. "You're safer out of the country, and if telling you my scar hurt is what made you come back, and then you got-"

"Okay," Sirius waved him down, as Harry's voice had started edging towards shouting levels, mostly directed at himself, but with the baby in the room they were trying to avoid that. "Alright Harry, calm down. We've talked about this, remember? You cannot go blaming yourself for everything that I do." He had to speak a bit louder, as Harry looked to cut him off, "if hearing about something going on with you was a motivating factor in me coming back, then I regret nothing. Now give me some credit, the lot of you," he added on harshly as he turned hard eyes on everyone in the room. "I got away with it for a year, and I was only caught because of Snape."

Harry was still dithering, unable to shake this terrible fear he didn't want Sirius coming back, it would be best if he stayed far away, which would keep him alive. He clearly wasn't winning this argument in this timeline though, so he hoped dearly he would in Sirius' future.

Sirius frowned as Harry kept going, as he'd hardly agreed Sirius was right and this wasn't Harry's fault.

**Ron asked what that meant, and Harry shouted about how Sirius was coming back because of him, now slamming his fist on the table and watching Hedwig hop around indignantly.**

"Poor Hedwig," Lily muttered absently.

**Sirius was coming back because he thought he was in trouble, and he wasn't!**

"I disagree," Sirius grumbled, "you've got some real mental problems."

Harry shot him a nasty look, thinking this shouldn't be joked about, which Sirius matched back, as he'd argue tell he was blue in the face Harry was safer with him around.

The two sat glaring at each other for a few moments before Remus cleared his throat, and Harry turned back to the book with a touch of indignation.

**Hedwig was clicking her beak at Harry in reproval, and he snapped at her that he didn't have anything for her! She took off with a shriek of protest, cuffing him in the head with her wings.**

"Temper, temper," James sighed, unable to say he wouldn't be acting the exact same way Harry was in that situation. Sirius never admitted how dangerous his actions could be, and coming back was one they all but him agreed was a terrible one.

**Hermione tried to sooth him, but Harry wouldn't hear it and stomped off to bed.**

**Harry knew that if Sirius came back and got caught, it would be all Harry's fault.**

Sirius' hand twitched like he wanted to smack Harry for saying that, but Harry turned sharply and snapped, "I was just reading it, you can't tell me off for doing that yet."

"Exactly," Sirius grinned back, "I ain't done it yet, so knock it off with the attitude."

"You haven't denied that you would do it though," Remus sighed.

Sirius scowled at him next, but when he still said nothing to the contrary Harry continued in seething tones.

**He berated himself why he'd even told Sirius.**

"That I'll disagree with," James sighed. "I'm glad you did tell Sirius, he's the best person to have told, but his reaction to it isn't what we were hoping for."

"Well I'm so sorry my coming back is such a bother to you lot," Sirius snarled. "I don't regret it for a second though."

"And that's our problem," Lily snapped. "You won't admit that it's even vaguely a bad idea."

"Because I'm staying closer to Harry," Sirius ground out. "I don't know what you lot have been listening to, but you can't pretend that stupid first chapter never happened. Something is definitely up with Voldemort this year, and I want to be there for that."

"Please let me strangle him, just a little," Lily turned beseechingly to James and Remus.

"Not until he actually does it," James sighed. "If in fifteen years or so he does it all again, despite our warnings, then have at him."

"Hey!" Sirius pouted, though there was nothing mock about his outrage.

Remus at least gave a small laugh, though Harry still didn't look remotely appeased. His dad's joke had only been yet another reminder that Harry should be as adamant as ever about keeping Sirius safe, none of them could stand the thought of this future actually happening to him.

**Ron came up moments later, but didn't try to speak to Harry. As the dorm fell silent, Harry's mind was too busy spinning to realize the absent snores from Neville's bed meant he wasn't the only one lying awake tonight.**

"Chapter's over," Harry groused, giving the book a toss to Remus.

* * *

*Question offered by Narutofan8762


	16. BEAUXBATONS AND DURMSTRANG

To Guest who asked: This is a reference to Chamber of Secrets Worst Birthday. Will we ever get the full story of James Potter, Lily Evans and Heather Valson? It sounds like a good story!

I had just meant it as a joke mostly that James tried to date one other girl to make Lily jealous, I hadn't planned on an actual story behind it, but since you asked I can try to bring it up again and have James give more of a defense of it and what Lily was really thinking while it was happening. I'll slip something in next chapter about it.

If ever anyone else has any questions like this, I will always deeply consider them! As always, thank you so much for the lovely reviews and comments you all send, they make my life!

* * *

Remus gave Sirius one more uneasy look before he started his chapter. It was the first time he'd seen Harry and Sirius really fighting about something, and he almost felt bad that everyone was against Sirius on this, but not bad enough to endorse the idea that Sirius wasn't insane for wanting to come back. Still hoping somehow Harry might be able to convince him otherwise in the book, Remus got started.

**Harry awoke the next morning with a plan already formed, as if his mind had supplied it while he slept.**

"I've had moments like that," James nodded eagerly, throwing Sirius a look in hopes he wasn't so angry at them he wouldn't play along.

Sirius sighed for a moment before adding on, "yeah, some of our best pranks came from the brilliance of the first thought in the morning."

"Hopefully this one works out for Harry," Lily muttered.

**He quickly got ready and made his way downstairs to where he'd left out his Divination homework,**

"You didn't put up your homework?" Remus said absently. "Risky Harry, someone could have taken that."

"I can't see to many people clamoring for those kinds of fortunes," Sirius said back deadpan.

**and began writing a letter to Sirius starting with the fact that he'd just imagined his scar hurting.**

That cracked a grin out of all of them, albeit a sad one from Sirius as he said, "if you actually think I'll fall for that, you clearly don't know me that well."

Harry muttered something inarticulately.

**Going on to say he'd only been half asleep when he'd written Sirius his last letter, there was no need at all to come back, his head was fine.**

"I still think you need it checked," Sirius snipped at him, to which Harry stuck his tongue out at him.

**Harry then left for the owlery, and was only delayed by Peeves who tried to turn a vase onto his head.**

"And you didn't want to stick around for that?" Lily chuckled.

**The Owlery was in one of the turrets of the castle, with no windows and straw all over the floor littered with owl droppings and regurgitated owl meals.**

"Oh so pleasant," Remus smirked.

"I remember Filch once gave me the lovely detention of having to clean that place," James said, a little twinkle in his eyes already showing where he was going with this before he finished, "for some odd reason he used that as an excuse to blame me when he found a bunch of rat skeletons in his office."

"Can not imagine why," Lily snickered, while Harry fully laughed at that.

**It took Harry only a moment to spot his snowy owl amongst the present birds, but it took him far longer to coax her down as she kept turning her tail to him.**

That made all four of them snicker to Harry's dismay, though he recognized he deserved it after the way he treated her last night.

**Clearly she was still miffed at him for her treatment last night, and it took Harry saying how he'd just have to use Pig instead**

"That'll do it, yeah," Remus chuckled, as Hedwig had already shown her vanity in any other owl that wasn't her.

**that convinced her to stick out her leg and allow Harry to tie up the note. Harry carried her over to the window, brushing on her feathers as he pleaded with her to find Sirius before the dementors did.**

The smile dropped off all of their faces, even Sirius couldn't help a light shiver, though he quickly masked it by grumbling, "you have no faith in me."

Harry gave him an exasperated sigh, saying, "you know that's not it Sirius, you just shouldn't risk-"

Sirius just ignored him, glaring hard at Remus. Harry cut himself off when he realized he may as well be telling the fireplace this was a bad idea, and Remus chose to keep going.

**She gave him an assured hoot before taking flight, and Harry watched her go with a now familiar tightening of unease.**

Sirius sighed at that, rubbing his temple. He didn't want to worry his pup, he was trying to do the opposite here by staying closer. Clearly though when he looked around they were all feeling the same way, and despite his insistence, the smallest part of him couldn't deny he'd be the first to have a panic attack if he was caught by those dementors again.

**He had been so sure that Sirius' reply would alleviate his worries rather than increasing them.**

"Well I'm so sorry having me around made your life worse," Sirius grumbled, redirecting his confusion at himself outwards.

James, who had lived with this for far too many years, snapped back, "only when you start acting like a prat, as Harry's learning."

**As Harry told his two friends over breakfast what he'd done, Hermione's first response was to snap at him for lying to Sirius.**

"Hey, his first lie to you!" Remus snickered. "You should feel proud Padfoot, he's already trying to figure out the best way to do that."

Sirius cracked and actually began snickering, while Lily rolled her eyes. Of course it would be that to make Sirius feel better, the only person in the world who saw lying as a good thing.

**Harry shot back it was better that then him getting sent back to Azkaban.**

Sirius let his head flop back against the sofa, all humor forgotten, and already feeling exhausted. They'd just started this chapter!

**Hermione made to keep going, but Ron hissed at her to drop it, and for once she did.**

"There _is_ a first time for everything," Lily raised a brow at this show of restraint.

**Harry did his best not to worry about Sirius over the next couple of weeks.**

Remus' voice cracked on that last word.

"Weeks, plural?" James asked in a too high pitched voice.

"Breath Prongs," Sirius muttered, closing his eyes so he wouldn't have to see any of their faces freaking out. "It took me awhile to get back to him because I'm clearly up to something more than moving around. Don't flip out on me until we've got proof."

The others couldn't help it, they were still on the edge of their seats as Remus forced himself to go on.

**Every morning he anxiously watched the mail arrived with nothing for him, and spent every night with restless nightmares of Sirius being cornered by dementors.**

Sirius couldn't even pretend to ignore the spasms that caused him, he'd been having nightmares about that coupled with some other things, and the fact that Harry couldn't even pretend this thought didn't scare him wasn't making any of them feel any better.

Harry was feeling a little desperate and panicky at this point, time was dragging on too long, he had to know if his godfather was going to be okay. He was fixing to throw his caution out the window and start digging right through his memories to find the source, just to _know_ that Sirius would come out okay, but then Remus caught his breath back and kept reading very loudly to hopefully distract them all from that and Harry acquitted he may only make things worse.

**At least during the day he had things to distract himself. He wished Quidditch were still on, nothing put him out like a good training practice,**

"I've got my proof!"James said a little breathlessly, still blinking that terrible vision Harry had painted away from his mind's eye. "Quidditch is good for you, take that Lily!"

"Love you to dear," she gave a soft laugh back she didn't really feel, but admired the attempt he gave all the same.

**but at least he had his lessons, which were more difficult than ever, especially DADA.**

"I should probably be terrified," Remus muttered, "considering your first class, but at this rate learning about the Unforgivables would be a relief."

"You're depressing me," Sirius huffed back, his smile at least trying to move past strained.

**To their shock, Moody had decided it would be best for the class to know what if felt like to have the Imperius curse placed on them.**

"He's what now!" James shrieked, that had distracted him! The baby in Lily's lap began crying in surprise, and Lily tried to deny her shaking hands as she cuddled and soothed him back down.

Remus shook his ears in surprise at such a sharp volume, but after blinking down at the pages a few times and considering, he said "I guess it's not the worst idea in the world."

James turned too wide eyes on him, forcing his volume not to keep breaking decibels, "he was the one to tell them using those on other people will get you put away, and now he's going to use it on them!" As he kept speaking though, some of the panic did start fading out, and after looking around at the others who all looked equally as upset, though somehow resigned, he acquitted, "though I guess, I can't deny it could be useful. Better a teacher who will force you to do your homework until you break free than a Death Eater."

"That better be the only spell he uses on them though," Lily said dangerously. "If he decides to give them a taste of what the Cruciates feels like, I'll rip his other leg and eye off."

"I get dibs," the others agreed.

Harry watched them all with fascination. Through most of his young life he'd always wondered what it would feel like if he had parents to write home to, to tell them how his day had gone and what he'd learned in class. He never would have dreamed of writing this type of stuff to Sirius, not now when he was so worried about him anyways. Now he was getting a first hand account of how they'd process things, and he would never not find it intriguing to watch.

**Hermione tried to protest, saying how Moody had pointed out it was illegal, but Moody said back that Dumbledore agreed he thought they should be taught what if felt like,**

They'd already realized that Dumbledore must have approved this, but the fact that Moody just so phrased it meaning he'd actually told Moody to go and do this gave all of them lockjaw. It didn't feel like it was a coincidence this was happening to Harry. Even if this was happening to all fourth years, it probably wasn't happenstance this was Harry's particular curriculum. There were too many times before where they'd felt like Dumbledore was putting Harry through a little something extra.

They'd all promised though, that since the man wasn't here to defend himself, they'd _try_ not to throw too many accusations at him, but this was really hitting the fan.

**but if Hermione couldn't take it, she was excused.**

"How come we never got excused from class for questioning the teacher?" Sirius muttered, finding it much more pleasant to crack a joke then imagine his little pup being put under that spell for any bleeding reason.

"Because we'd have a zero attendance if we did pull that off," James sighed in agreement, both what he'd said allowed and what he'd been thinking.

**Hermione went pink with shock but didn't move a muscle, as everyone knew Hermione would rather eat bubotuber pus then miss such an important lesson.**

"That's as accurate as it could get," Harry chuckled.

**Moody began calling the students up one by one and putting them under, and the rest of the class watched them do the most astounding things. Dean was made to hop around the room on one leg singing the national anthem.**

"That poor kid," Remus said in pity.

**Lavender Brown imitated a squirrel,**

"Least Moody's being original," Sirius muttered.

**and Neville did several gymnastic tricks he had no idea how to do himself. Then it was Harry's turn,**

Harry watched all four of them tense as tight as they could go. It didn't seem to matter to them the reason and logic of this, clearly Harry being under the influence of any Unforgivable was like a nightmare come true to them. All it managed to cause Harry though, was a flood of warmth at how clearly concerned they all were.

**and he moved to the front as Moody said 'Imperio.'**

Remus let out a blistering sigh as he read that. First the problems with Sirius, now this, how come he hadn't been able to get one of the nice chapters?!

**What washed over Harry was like nothing he'd ever felt before, and it was wonderful. It left him with a floating feeling of ease, and he felt a smile adopt his face as everything he'd ever worried about melted away, no longer even aware of those watching him.**

"Well if it was unpleasant then you wouldn't want to fight it," Sirius grumbled.

James was practically shivering non stop by the end of that description, so he couldn't have added something if he wanted to.

**From a long ways off, he heard Moody's voice instructing him to jump onto the desk.**

"That's it?" Lily couldn't help but question. "We went from gymnastics and squirrels, to just jumping onto a desk."

"You've seen how high up those things are," Harry reminded with a shrug, "you try doing that without a running start."

**Harry bent his knees at once to obey, before some small voice in the very back of his head asked why he'd do such a thing.**

Remus wasn't sure he'd read that right, because that was the start to someone being able to break through the curse. Harry was fourteen, he couldn't really have that sort of will, especially on his first try!

Harry was watching all of them with confusion, and when they continued to just sit there gaping at him he demanded, "what?"

Sirius finally cleared up his expression and gave Harry a proud smile as he defended, "I'm really not that surprised, you managed a corporal patronus at thirteen, around a hundred dementors! Clearly your strength is your DADA spells."

Harry flushed red in surprise at such praise, but Sirius' comment managed to shake the others awake as well. It was a startling and impressive feat for anyone to show, but Sirius was right, this wasn't the first time he's showed such strong strength in character.

Trying to push some of the attention off of him, Harry asked back, "hasn't any of you fought this off?"

They all went very still and quiet, this wasn't something any of them really wanted to talk about, but James broke first and whispered, "I did once," with such a disturbing look on his face, Harry was terrified to ask what he'd been told to do.

Lily watched her husband, her eyes suddenly too many shades darker, but knew that Harry deserved the answer no matter how unpleasant it was. "He came home one night acting funny," she explained for what felt like the millionth time, though every single one made the experience as raw and new as if it had just happened. "I was still pregnant with you, and he came home one day, but well, he wasn't acting right."

"I was there that day," Remus winced in horror as all the possibilities of what else could have happened that day still haunted him if he wasn't. His hand went to absently rub at his throat as he tried to get out, "and, well-"

"Remus stunned me," James got out in a frosty voice. He despised having to recall this, like the others he'd had to recant everything he could remember for the Order later, and it still gave him nightmares. Clearly no one else was getting this out though, and he wanted to move past it. "Sadly, that doesn't negate the effects of the Imperius curse, so it wore off, and I went to attack him. I was actually ordered to-" his face spasmed, he couldn't get that out if his life depended on it, so he hedged around, "well, anyways, I snapped out of it before I could do any real harm, but-"* he cut off, his throat feeling like it had closed shut.

Sirius' face was an ugly mask through this whole thing, he'd went nuts there for a moment when he'd heard and had felt so useless at only hearing of this after the fact. He'd tried, like Remus, to figure out who'd done it to him, but James had never recalled anything after he'd left the house.

Harry didn't think he could stand to listen to anymore even if the others could spit it out, so he was more then happy when Remus decided to move on.

**Moody's voice kept repeating it, telling him to jump onto the desk, but that other voice was growing more insistent now, stating this was a terrible idea and he should do no such thing. Then Moody snapped the order, telling him to jump onto that desk, now! The results ended with Harry half trying to defy that, and ramming headlong into the desk and possibly fracturing his knees.**

"I really am just blasted," Sirius said, shaking his head in utter amazement, still trying to shake past that terrible memory this stupid spell brought up.

"I'll take the surprise and be grateful for it any day," Lily agreed.

**Moody was definitely impressed, praising Harry and telling the lot of them to see what he'd just done! He instructed that Harry was to do it again, and told the other students to watch his eyes, that's where you could see the struggle. Then he turned back to Harry, praising him that no one would be controlling him.**

"If that dosen't show how impressive it is, nothing will," James murmured, "since it takes a miracle to impress Moody."

**Harry was indeed forced to go through that several more times until he could throw the spell off completely.**

**An hour later as they were leaving, Harry was muttering to his friends about how Moody kept going on like they'd be attacked any second.**

"You mean you aren't?" Sirius said with mock wide eyes. "Here I thought they had rabid bunnies around every corner."

"You and your blasted rabbits," Remus grumbled.

Harry frowned in confusion at the odd comment, but no one noticed.

**Ron agreed Moody was borderline mad as he skipped along, not having been able to throw the spell off near as well, though Moody had promised the effects would wear off by lunch. Ron continued by pointing out he'd been like this for a while, pointing out the story he'd told Seamus about that person who shouted Boo at him on April Fool's Day. Then he bemoaned how they were supposed to fit in Moody's assigned homework along with everything else they had to do.**

"Aw, we didn't get to hear the rest of the story?" Remus pouted.

"I'll tell you if you tell me what Sirius' thing with rabbits is," Harry offered.

James released a surprised snort of laughter, if anything could knock him back into this conversation it was that. He more than happily explained, "when referring to Remus' werewolf status in school, we called it his furry little problem."

"When anyone asked about it," Sirius said in a saint like voice, "I managed to convince them all Remus had a badly behaved rabbit. Had to keep up the gist, so I got him one that following Christmas."

"Of course I didn't keep it," Remus scoffed, "it would be insane of me to try and own a pet, plus most creatures dislike me. Yet he's persisted in trying to give me one nearly every bleeding holiday sense."

Harry was laughing so hard, it took him several moments to calm back down and explain his end. "I never heard the name of the witch, but from what Moody told, she got pinned to a wall by a permanent sticking charm. Poor thing had to undress in front of her whole department to go home and get a change of clothes, and they're still up on some floor at the Ministry."

"That's a kindness considering some of the things he could have done to her," Lily smirked, thinking that everyone knew better than to pull a stunt like that at Moody now a days, but add fifteen years to him, that was asking for trouble.

**All the fourth years had noticed the increase in their homework, and when they'd complained about it to McGonagall in her class, she'd begun by lecturing them that their Ordinary Wizarding Levels were drawing closer,**

"They're not until the end of next year," Harry protested.

"They do not care, one little bit," Sirius sighed.

**Dean interrupted to point out that wasn't until next year, but McGonagall persisted they needed the practice now! In this class no one but Hermione could turn her porcupine into a pincushion. Hermione blushed at the praise, trying not to look pleased with herself.**

"And how was that working out for her?" Remus rolled his eyes.

"She'd stopped raising her hand and asking McGonagall to triple check it was the same style as McGonagall's, so quite well," Harry chuckled.

**The two boys had been very amused at Trelawney fawning over their predictions,**

At least they could agree with her on something, as they all couldn't deny their own amusement at that.

**even having read some of them to the rest of the class and praising them for accepting their fate with unflinching horror,**

"Such brave souls," Sirius said tragically.

**but weren't nearly as amused when she requested the same thing for next month.**

"Ra-rock cakes," James said with a straight face and a snap of his fingers, the others blissfully ignoring what he'd been fixing to say.

**They were running out of ideas.**

"I suppose it might be a little too obvious if you asked her for some, she's chock full of them," Lily sighed.

**In History of Magic, Binns had them doing weakly essays over the goblin rebellions, and Snape had them all researching antidotes. This they took seriously,**

"I thought you were worried about me?" Sirius said with an innocent voice. "Why would you take it to me?"

James reached around Harry like he was trying to smack him for that, but Harry was too busy laughing and being in the way.

**as he'd made not so subtle threats about poisoning someone before Christmas.**

Lily muttered several foul things under her breath none of them needed translating, as they all knew they were going to shove several poisons down Snape's throat when they got out of here, but if he touched Harry it would get even worse for him.

**Flitwick had them reading three extra books in preparation for his lesson on Summoning Charms,**

"Excuse him?" Remus spluttered. "Books, plural? A chapter or two I'll give, but Merlin man!"

Harry muttered his agreement, but for some odd reason was feeling regret he hadn't jumped on that one instead.

**and even Hagrid wasn't helping as he asked them all to come down outside of class and take notes on the Skrewts.**

"That's still the best homework I've heard yet," Sirius smirked. He wasn't exactly fond of these skrewts, but he couldn't deny he found them fascinating either.

**Malfoy flat out refused this idea,**

"Joyful, flunk him out of the class so we can deal with him a little less," James scowled.

**and Hagrid snapped back that he would do as he was told, otherwise he'd see to Moody's idea. Remarking how he'd heard what a lovely ferret Malfoy could make.**

Causing all of five of them a relapse in amusement, that joke would never get old!

**The Gryffindors all laughed at that while Malfoy flushed with anger, but clearly the threat seemed real enough to him as he said nothing back.**

"Please never let that fade away," Sirius begged, "this is better than the time Hermione slapped him!"

"I never thought that could be true," Remus nodded fondly, "and I couldn't be happier to be wrong."

**The trio found Hagrid saying this particularly satisfying after Malfoy had tried to get Hagrid fired last year.**

"Charming as ever," Lily giggled.

"Bless irony," James agreed.

**They were on their way up the marble staircase when they ran into the crowd in the entrance hall, all hovering around and reading the sign announcing the delegates from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang would be arriving at six, the day before Halloween,**

"Oh bullie!" Sirius chirped with real interest, he couldn't wait to see this Tournament getting started!

**and that lessons would end a half hour early, where Harry interrupted to shout with joy that Snape wouldn't have time to poison them with that.**

"There's the bright side," Remus snickered with only half his usual amount of jesting at that, considering they all felt it a very real threat.

**Ron went back to reading that the students were instructed to leave their things in their dormitories and meet outside the castle to greet them. Ernie had been right by them as they read this, and he couldn't hide how excited he was before bustling off to go and tell Cedric. When Ron asked why, Harry suggested he was probably entering the tournament.**

"Oh not him," James groused, "I couldn't stand rooting for someone who'd beaten Harry out of Quidditch."

Harry realized that his hands were starting to shake, a now familiar but never unpainful throbbing beginning in his forehead. It pained him that his first instinct was to snap at his father for saying a negative word against Cedric, while his fourteen year old mind fully agreed with James. He was sure that was indicative of something, but he knew he would regret it if he learned the answer.

**Ron was outraged that this idiot could be the Hogwarts champion,**

"Completely agree," Sirius nodded along.

Harry found himself having to beat down the urge to snap at both Ron and Sirius now for even thinking of saying a mean word against Cedric, and he knew they didn't really mean it...what on earth was that about?

**Hermione snapped at him for that, saying they just didn't like him because he'd once beaten Gryffindor at Quidditch.**

"Is there another reason not to like someone," Remus asked innocently.

"I'm not liking you lot very much right now," Lily shot back.

**Ron said back that she only liked him because he was handsome, and Hermione was deeply offended as she said she'd never like someone for the way they looked! Ron coughed out the name Lockhart.**

"Can't even argue with him that one," Harry cackled, more than pleased at finally being distracted from this.

**The sign had reignited the talk of the tournament,**

Harry had to press his lips tight together to suppress a moan. He'd quite enjoyed the long absence of this being mentioned, but now that it was all coming back that same feeling of unease was rising right back up. He tried his very best to ignore it, thankfully he'd had a lot of practice by now.

**rumors of who was going to enter, what the contests were going to be, and comparing what little they knew of the other schools to Hogwarts, and what was better or worse.**

"The accents," Sirius said with a dreamy look on his face.

"Do I want to know?" Harry asked with much more interest than he'd meant to, anything to keep the conversation off that Tournament for a moment.

"Oh please don't-" Remus began to protest, but Sirius instantly ignored him and explained, "I pinpalled with a girl from Uagadou, that's the school they have in Africa, and she was a real-"

"Perhaps we can continue this later," Lily quickly inserted, as she hadn't even known Sirius at that time and she could only imagine how inappropriate this was about to get.

"You lot are no fun at all," Sirius pouted at her, but Remus quickly threw her a grateful look and kept going while he could.

**Harry also got to watch as the castle received a good scrubbing. Several portraits, much to the protest of its occupants, were removed of all dirt, all of the amor were removed of their creaking, and Filch became so strict to anyone with mud on their shoes he reduced some first years to tears.**

Lily gave a huffy sigh, she really wished he'd be told off for that more.

**The staff was beginning to act a little odd as well, McGonagall gave a much too stern lecture to Neville about not showing any Durmstrang student he couldn't perform a Switching Spell,**

"I cannot imagine how that would come up in conversation," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"That was a bit harsh," James agreed with a wince for poor Neville.

**as he'd somehow managed to get his ears on the cactus instead.**

"Actually, now I can see why that would come up," Remus smirked. "That's quite memorable."

"What were you trying to do?" Lily raised a disbelieving brow. "When we learned that, we were supposed to switch petals from one flower to the other."

"We were supposed to be putting the spikes of the cactus onto our portion of the table," Harry shrugged, not wanting to admit that he'd somehow managed instead to remove his to Ron's chair.

**The morning of, they went down to breakfast to find the Great Hall bedecked for a feast, with banners hung above every table with their house crest, and the school motto on a banner behind the teacher's table.**

**The three of them took seats by Fred and George, who were having another whispered conversation.**

"What on earth?" Lily felt like she was asking for the fiftieth time.

"Hopefully they explain," Remus shrugged, several options still spinning around.

"I wouldn't hold your breath," Sirius sighed, thinking whatever their problem was, they clearly weren't up to explaining it to anyone.

**They sat down to hear George saying that if 'he' won't talk to them in person, they'd have to send that letter after all, or shove it in his hand. He couldn't avoid them forever.**

Remus looked up with a frown to indicate he was done with all the twins had said.

James frown only deepened as he said, "well that didn't really explain much of anything."

"They're being avoided," Sirius said thoughtfully, rubbing at his chin as he swirled his mind around. "Maybe we were wrong and it is someone at Hogwarts, someone from another house this has to do with."

"What could they be accusing a fellow Hogwarts student of that's so bad?" Remus postured.

"We were clearly wrong, and it doesn't have anything to do with whoever attacked Bagman," Lily sighed, then waved Remus on to keep going as they were now having a fairly circular argument.

**Ron asked who was avoiding them, and Fred shot back he wished they would.**

"Ah sibling love," Sirius gave a light smirk.

**Ron instead asked George what the deal was, and George snapped back having a nosy little brother.**

"At that moment, I'm fairly sure they mean it," James snorted, no one liked having their conversations intruded on.

**Harry instead changed the subject to ask if they had any more ideas about the Tournament, and George didn't seem any happier at the change of topic as he admitted he'd tried to get McGonagall to talk, but she'd just told him to stick to his work.**

"How rude," Remus smirked.

"Should have gotten Hermione to try and ask," Harry chuckled, "she might have tried another argument like she did on Binns."

**Ron wondered what the tasks were going to be, then told Harry how he still thought they could do them, they'd done plenty of dangerous stuff already.**

"Who's this we?" Sirius gave a disbelieving look. "Harry's been left alone at all the big important things."

"Ron did knock out that troll," Remus said fairly.

"And he stood up to your arse, that's a dangerous feat in itself," James smirked.

"Plus going into the Chamber, and the Forest when he had a good idea what he'd find," Sirius agreed with a little nod, officially taking back his crack.

"This is actually starting to depress me," Lily muttered, she hated sitting around and thinking of all these things Harry and his friends had to go through.

**Fred pointed out they'd never done anything in front of judges.**

"There's that to," Sirius switched back, like he still wanted to press his point, "none of them have done any of that stuff with an audience around, and we know at least Hermione'll freeze under pressure."

"She was a first year," Harry defended.

Sirius still shrugged, giving Harry an obvious look, which the others suddenly realized he may be doing to try and get through Harry's head that he could fantasize about this all day, but he didn't want Harry in this tournament any more than any of them.

Harry either didn't realize that's what Sirius was doing, or was ignoring him.

**George admitted McGonagall had told them that the champions get awarded points for what they did from the judges. Harry asked about who these judges were, and Hermione said she knew at least three of them were the heads of the participating schools.**

"Which seems a little biased," Lily shook her head, "as they must be prone to supporting their own school. You'd think they'd get judges from other countries."

"I think it may be so that they can show how impartial they can be," Remus offered, "after all, a judge from Durmstrang giving a high score to someone from Hogwarts would make them seem fair and equal."

"That's if they actually do it though," James rolled his eyes.

**She knew this because they'd all been injured during the Tournament of 1792, when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on a rampage.**

Sirius in particular gave a shudder at the thought of that, while Harry asked, "what's a cockatrice?"

"It's a dragon with only two legs and the head of a rooster," Remus said with a disbelieving look that students would have to put up with this. "They're born from a male rooster laying an egg, being hatched by a toad-"

"Thank you, because that wasn't a close enough description to how a basilisk's born," James muttered. It was amazing how the simple matter of the egg being from a male or female chicken made the difference.

"How would a male chicken lay an egg?" Harry politely interrupted to clarify.

Remus' pleasant grin only grew as Harry kept asking for more as he briefly added, "some hens can possibly change gender after they lay an egg, but they don't switch back to hens, so as long as the switch happened it is then technically a roosters egg. It has the ability that if it breathes on you it can kill you, which is a fair reason those judges made a run for it."

Now even Harry agreed with his dad, this was sounding far too much like a basilisk for his pleasure.

Remus was clearly ignoring all of them as he continued his rambling, "Merlin do I pity those contestants, but a sure fire way to keep it at bay would be to have a weasel around or to have it look at itself in the mirror, so while the challenge of capturing one is there, at least it seems doable."

"Can we please change the subject now," Sirius begged, these things were far too close to dragons, and now basilisks, for his wanting to keep going.

Remus pouted at them, this was such a rarely mentioned creature he didn't get to talk about them much, but didn't argue the point either as he knew how uncomfortable it was making both of his friends.

**She noticed them all watching her in surprise, and made a tsking noise that they hadn't read as many books as she had,**

"I feel like you hear that a lot," Lily snorted.

**as she continued the full account of it was in Hogwarts, A History. Of course she no longer considered that the most reliable book, as in her opinion it should instead be called A Highly Biased and Selective History of Hogwarts, Which Glosses Over the Nastier Aspects of the School.**

"But that titles such a mouthful," Sirius rolled his eyes, "I'm sure she can understand why they tightened it up a bit."

**Ron asked what that was about, and Hermione shot back house-elves! Not once in those thousands of pages did it mention that this school had its history based in the oppression of them!**

"Why would it?" James asked with genuine interest. "They had nothing to do with the school's history."

"It's the principle of the matter James," Lily sighed, "it's an injustice not to mention the fact that slaves live on the premises."

"Never heard you saying anything about this before Hermione," Sirius grumbled.

"I never put as much thought into it as she clearly has," Lily scowled back, "which I'm deeply regretting."

There was a lull where Lily and Sirius kept glaring at each other, each clearly deciding if they were actually going to revisit their earlier argument already, but then Remus decided to keep reading loudly while he still could.

**Harry quickly went back to his breakfast to ignore her looks. Neither his nor Ron's lack of enthusiasm had curbed Hermione one bit about this subject.**

Lily switched her expression to Harry, wishing her son would take more of an interest as he must see how wrong that is, he'd hardly been treated any better at the Dursleys, but Harry was thoroughly avoiding her eye as well.

**They may have paid their two Sickles for their S. P. E. W badge, but only to shut her up. It had instead seemed to boost her, as she'd taken to spending nights in the Gryffindor tower rattling her box under people's noses, badgering all of her house to do so as well.**

"I feel like that could be classified as harassment," Remus raised a brow at just how forceful she was being.

"Best way to keep up attention," Lily smirked.

**Sighting over and over that they were all taken care of by the magical creatures who were unpaid.**

"Well when you put it like that, it sounds like a bad thing," Sirius muttered quietly enough only Harry and James heard him.

"And how would you put it?" Harry murmured back. He may not have been as gung ho about this as Hermione, but he couldn't deny either he didn't like the ideas of more Dobby's being out there. He just knew better to go badgering other people about it.

"You ever watched them do their work pup?" Sirius whispered, waiting for Harry to shake his head no before finishing, "trust me, they're singing show tunes and beaming the whole time. They think they've got it made, and Hermione, or Lily, telling them otherwise will not make them any happier."

Lily narrowed her eyes suspiciously, she could tell they were clearly saying something over there, but Remus wasn't pausing to let it come out.

**Some, like Neville, had paid just to get her to stop. A few actually looked interested in what she was saying, but never campaigned with her.**

"Maybe because Hermione can't prove her point either," James shrugged, throwing his hands up at once when Lily began scowling at him. "I'm just saying, most of the students aren't even aware there are house-elves there, so they can't get too worked up about something they've never seen."

Lily rolled her eyes, but wasn't going to say anything to that at least.

**Many regarded the whole thing as a joke.**

"There's the Sirius' of the school," Remus muttered.

**Fred, who had refused to buy her badge along with his brother, leaned over to ask her if she'd ever been to the kitchens. Hermione said no at once, as that wasn't allowed,**

"Can't believe she actually started to say that to those two," Sirius snickered.

**but George cut her off to tell that they did all the time to nick food.**

"Think you can hardly define it as nicking," James smirked in remembrance, "they practically give it away if you poke your nose in."

**Telling her that they loved their job. Hermione practically growled back that was because they were brainwashed!**

"No," Sirius drawled out, throwing this at Lily since Hermione wasn't around to here, "it's because that's about as much as their capable of understanding. Simple, normal chores."

"They can hold a conversation," Lily threw back at once, "you can't really say their un-"

"I didn't say they were troll levels of stupid," Sirius cut her off, instantly regretting saying anything as he should have known Lily would snap back. "Just that they aren't smart enough for anything higher. Didn't Dobby prove that when he tried to save Harry's life by killing him."

Lily wavered, recognizing that as she'd never personally held a conversation with a house-elf, she was being a bit of a prat by trying to say anything for them.

Sirius actually smirked, pleased to see he may have gotten through to her that time, but Remus still kept going before either of them could rally.

**She was cut off though by the mail arriving, and Hedwig coming down to Harry's shoulder.**

Which instantly distracted them from anything else.

**She looked exhausted as Harry untied the paper from her leg, while also giving her his own bacon as he began to read Sirius' reply.**

"There's the proper response," James muttered, not loud enough Remus would stop, but so at least Harry knew he was happy.

**He made sure that the twins were no longer listening as he whispered to Ron and Hermione Sirius' response, which started with him telling Harry it had been a nice try,**

"Actually no it wasn't, but you can't blame me for lying about that," Sirius gave an easy smile, slouching back into the couch with an insufferably proud look as far as the others were concerned.

**but he was already back in the country and hidden away.**

The others sighed, recognizing that Sirius had clearly gone off and done this probably moments after he'd gotten Harry's letter.

"You're welcome," Sirius huffed, glaring at James in particular.

James scowled at the opposite wall for a moment, working furiously to stop himself snapping that Sirius was being an idiot, before turning back and saying reluctantly, "thank you."

Sirius beamed, clearly starting to preen himself any moment now that he'd at least gotten someone's approval.

"Why do I even bother?" Lily moaned, rubbing furiously at her temple.

Remus gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder, completely in the same boat as her. It was depressing when he thought about it though, that Lily wouldn't have been there to tell Sirius in person he was being an idiot while helping him go into hiding. That Lily and James would never again be there to deal with Sirius and all the insane things he was going to get himself up to. Remus would be alone in making sure he helped to keep his last friend alive, and that thought was pretty terrifying considering more than half the time he'd been an encouragement to Sirius' terrible plans. He had no faith he could talk Sirius out of anything, to be honest he'd probably be so guilt ridden for having spent twelve years thinking the worst of Sirius he'd help him with anything to make amends. He'd probably be in the same pot of hot water as Sirius soon enough when the others realized he'd be just as bad as Sirius and was probably helping him in any way he could; at least he certainly hoped so. He'd much rather deal with that then just bloody falling back out of the picture.

Remus hadn't realized he'd sunk so deeply into his thoughts until he realized Lily was snapping her fingers in front of his nose to get his attention, and had to shake his head slightly to realize Sirius was talking to him.

"-Moony, would you get a grip. You've spent more than enough time worrying about me, can't you just pretend for a moment this is a good thing."

He mustered up a smile for his friend, saying, "so long as it's just for pretend, then sure."

Sirius rolled his eyes while Remus quickly jumped back into the book before he could let his thoughts stray anywhere else.

**Then he wrote that he wanted to know everything that was going on at Hogwarts, but not to use Hedwig and keep changing out owls.**

"Well would you lookie there, Padfoots actually showing some intelligence," Lily tried to hide her beaming smile with a smirk.

Sirius gave her a challenging look back, though there was no force at all as he snapped, "hardy har Lil, this coming from the girl who once got herself stuck up a tree, you're not the poster child for smarts. And who said you could call me that." He added on, doing a double take as he fully took in what Lily had said.

Lily went beat red at the reminder, snapping back, "that has nothing to do with your levels of idiot, that was done to me. And I can call you whatever I want to." She actually finished that with uncertainty though, as she'd only ever once referred to Peter by his nickname, and they had all laughed that off. She hadn't really meant to do it to Sirius now, it had just slipped out in her desire to show she wasn't really as mad at him as she put on. She knew she could never put into words how grateful she was Sirius really was out there looking after her son, even if he did give her gray hair along the way.

Sirius could only leave her on tenterhooks for a few moments more before his expression broke, and he gave her an indulgent smile as he responded, "right, well, you do that then dear."

Lily couldn't even begin to hide her smile at that, while the other three exchanged bemused looks at the two.

For some reason, Harry was all for extending this as he wanted nothing more than to never get to this Tournament, so he asked, "How did you get stuck up a tree?"

Lily sighed, wanting to throw Sirius a nasty look for the reminder, but she couldn't seem to hold it against him anymore as she explained, "I had this friend, and it felt like at least once a week her cat wouldn't come back at the end of the night like the rest of them always do, so I was out on the grounds helping her look for it. Well we found it, up a tree, on the edge of the forest. My friend, her name was Mary, she was afraid of heights, so I offered to climb up there and get it down. I wouldn't recommend using a spell to get a cat out of a tree by the way," she added on when she saw he was about to ask, "they do not take kindly to that, and they come down one giant ball of fur and claws. So anyways, I scaled up there, but the moment I was in arm's length of it, it shimmied itself down the tree like the little shit it was. I began climbing down myself, when I got myself snagged on a branch. I don't mean my shirt might have got ripped a little if I'd just pulled, I mean I somehow got so stuck that if I kept going, I was going to have to make it back to Gryffindor tower in my skivvies."

Harry looked properly disgusted at his mother saying that, but Lily hardly seemed to notice as she was still glaring at Sirius through the majority of the story. "Well Mary got a hold of her cat, and she knew the second she put that problem back on the ground he'd just scale another tree and we'd be in exactly the same situation, so she was going to go drop him in the first empty room she could find then come back to help me. No she wasn't going to stun her cat Sirius," Lily snapped when she saw him opening his mouth to say something. Her look of agitation continued to increase as she said, "so Mary ran off, and who should come across me in that bloody situation but Black. What were you even doing out there anyways?" Having been so mortified by the end of this she'd never brought it up since.

"That's on a need to know basis," Sirius began to say at the same time Remus butted in saying:

"He was probably out there to snog some girl."

"Moony," Sirius rolled his eyes, "that was a highly kept secret."

"That the whole bloody school knew," he shot back with the same eye roll.

Sirius switched back to Lily then, batting his eyes at her lovingly as he told Harry from there, "you just know she was thrilled to see me, we were on the best of terms at that time." Harry snorted lightly, it wasn't hard to pick up on the sarcasm he was using, clearly this was at a time when his mother was still friends with Snape. "So being the gentlemen I was, I climbed up there and got her down. I managed to only tear up enough of her shirt she was still decent and then we both got down and parted ways as bosom friends."

"You were even more of an ass back then," Lily informed him primly. "You lorded over me for the next month that you saved my life."

"Pissed off Prongs as well," Sirius said without a hint of remorse, "he would have loved nothing more than to be her knight in shining armor for that moment."

"Plus I wouldn't have teased her so mercilessly about it," James agreed, not even bothering to hide his laughter at this retelling.

Harry couldn't help laughing at the end, thinking he'd much rather sit around all day hearing stories about their school life than his own, but he was clearly outvoted as Remus was looking at him expectantly. Knowing he couldn't delay forever, Harry gave a nod to indicate he was done so that he could continue.

**Finishing with the request that Harry shouldn't be worrying about him, and a reminder of what to do if his scar hurt again. Then he signed off.**

"With any luck you didn't say that name out loud," James muttered.

"I didn't," Harry assured, as Ron and Hermione knew perfectly well who it had been from.

**Ron asked why he'd have to keep changing owls, and Hermione explained it was because Hedwig was too noticeable. It would look suspicious if she kept coming around to where Sirius was hiding.**

Harry still couldn't help a slight frown. He loved his owl, and she was a proud creature, so she wasn't going to like the next time he wrote to Sirius and didn't use her. Sirius' advice was sound and a good idea, but it still prickled him that just because he hadn't got some common brown bird he couldn't use her.

**Harry tucked his letter from Sirius away, trying to decide if that had made him feel better or worse.**

"I'm going to pretend you said better," Sirius sniffed.

**At least Sirius had made it back without getting caught, and it would feel better that he wouldn't have to wait so long to be getting his response.**

Then Sirius really smiled, giving a gloating look to Harry who couldn't deny the smile back. He wouldn't have admitted that out loud for fear it would prove Sirius' point, which Harry still disagreed with as he shouldn't be anywhere near him in fear the Ministry would find out, but he couldn't deny it either.

"There's the bright side," Remus chuckled.

**Harry thanked his owl as she took off, and couldn't deny he was in a better mood the rest of the day.**

**They all did as instructed and met up at the entrance hall to find very harassed teachers, McGonagall telling off Parvati to take a butterfly pin out of her hair.****

"I find that rather rude," Lily sniffed, "the people from the other school shouldn't care what's in the student's hair."

"I doubt they even would have noticed," James agreed.

**Once their head of house was satisfied with her lot, she led them onto the grounds and had them stand in lines according to their year. Ron was watching his watch, telling them it was almost time, then asking if they'd be arriving by train?**

"Doesn't seem likely," Sirius shook his head in thought as he mulled it over.

**Hermione disagreed, then Harry suggested by brooms,**

"Nah, that's way too far to fly," James disagreed.

Harry felt a small moment hit him, like he may have been closer than his dad was thinking.

**or that they'd all apparated here? While Ron offered Portkey instead.**

"Both of those are likely, though they'd still have to take the Thestrals in carriages to get up there, and that's not nearly dramatic enough," Remus chuckled.

**Ron agreed with the first one, saying maybe they didn't have to be seventeen where they were from to do this.**

"You have to be seventeen to enter the tournament this year," Lily reminded, "so I'm sure everyone who is appearing could do that."

**Hermione reminded that they couldn't do either of those onto the grounds though.**

"And there's that," Harry agreed.

**The whole of the students stood in silence as they watched their surroundings, and something of what Mr. Weasley had told Harry at the Quidditch World Cup resurfaced to Harry's mind, about how wizards loved showing off when they got together.**

"Which I can imagine will still hold true for this instance," James said.

**Dumbledore first spotted the Beauxbatons arrival, pointing over the trees. One first year spotted it and began screaming it was a dragon!**

Sirius went a very ugly color in shock at the very idea, but had the sense not to flip out as he knew no one would be stupid enough to do that.

**Dennis told her that was stupid, it was a flying house!**

"Yes, because that's not stupid," Harry laughed.

**Dennis' guess was close though, as it came forward and they saw that it was a large, blue, horse drawn carriage, being pulled along by elephant sized palomino horses with wings.**

Lily let out a surprised whistle of appreciation at that description.

"Abraxan horses," Remus said with undisguised intrigue. "Those are only native to France, I've never seen them in person."

"Well to me," Sirius began in tones that already had Remus scowling at him, "it sounds like all you have to do is picture an elephant with wings, but more horse like."

"And white," James happily added on.

"Palominos are tan with white manes you twits," Remus sighed.

"Well excuse us," Sirius said without a drop of remorse.

"How about you and I go on holiday there and see some," Lily told Remus while shooting his two friends a look. "They can stay back and stare at a wall all day, it's the only thing they'd appreciate."

Neither heard the slam, they were still too busy laughing at their own wit.

Remus gave her a grateful smile before deciding to move on.

**The closest students jumped back in surprise as it landed, with a bouncing thud,**

"I'm sure that was a comfortable landing," Harry muttered randomly.

**while the horses hooves slammed into the ground nearly leaving cracks, their fiery red eyes watching them all carefully. A Coach wearing a powder blue uniform got down, went to the door where a crest of two wands crossed with three stars over them, and let down some golden stairs before releasing the door.**

**A high heeled shoe first appeared, the size of a small sled,**

At the beginning of the description, Sirius and James snickers trailed off and they listened in confusion.

**followed by the largest woman he'd ever seen. The size of the carriage made sense once you saw her,**

"I thought it was because of how many students would be arriving," Lily murmured in surprise.

**and a few people even gasped as she took to her full height. The only comparable person was Hagrid, there could barely be an inch's difference.**

"She's a half giant to," Sirius raised a brow in surprise.

"Thank you, captain obvious," Remus rolled his eyes, not hiding his own shock. Hagrid, and by extension this woman, were a very rare occurrence but Sirius' comment was still idiotic.

"She actually may have Hagrid beat in height just a bit," Lily smiled, "if she's wearing high heels."

"Thank you for that wonderful observation love," James chuckled.

**She was certainly more well-dressed then Hagrid though, wearing satin clothes which complimented her olive skin and rather beaky nose. The opals adorning her throat and fingers gave her a regal look as she gracefully approached Dumbledore, who began clapping upon arrival. Many students began standing on their toes to look at her as they joined in.**

"I somehow doubt that's an issue," Sirius smiled lightly.

**She gave a warm smile as he greeted her, though a tall man hardly having to bow his head to kiss her hand as he greeted her by the name of Madame Maxime, and introducing her to Hogwarts.**

"Oh wow, that's the Headmistress for Beauxbatons," Lily spluttered, getting over one shock to run into another.

"Congrats to her," Remus smiled warmly.

**She had a very thick French accent as she returned the greeting, asking how he was doing. He politely replied he was doing well, and then Maxime waved her hand behind her as way of introducing her students.**

"Oh yeah, these people I brought along," James snorted.

**Harry's sole attention had been focused on her,**

"You're not the only one I'm sure," Sirius agreed.

**but now glanced behind her to see several students in their late teens all wearing the powder blue uniform of the school shivering in their headmistresses shadows. Clearly the silk material wasn't keeping them warm, and none of them were wearing cloaks.**

"It is colder out here than in France," Lily agreed. "Though I am sad not one of them thought to bring something warmer. They must have had a general idea of where they were going."

"Wanted to show off more," James shrugged.

**A few were wearing shawls. They were all watching the castle with apprehension. Maxime asked if Karkaroff had arrived yet,**

Harry felt a shiver roll down his spine at that name, though he had no clue as to why. He looked around curiously to see if anyone else recognized it, but was disappointed to see no one give much thought to it.

**and Dumbledore answered that they'd arrived first. He invited her to wait inside and warm up, or to stay out here to greet them? She decided they would wait inside, but first instructed about her horses.**

**Dumbledore agreed that they had a Care of Magical Creatures teacher to look after them, he was just taking care of other matters first.**

**Ron whispered into Harry's ear the skrewts.**

"That's probably true," Remus snorted.

**Maxime wasn't so certain, saying her horses needed a forceful handler, clearly thinking no one at this school was up for the job.**

"She hasn't met Hagrid yet," Harry grinned, knowing full well that Hagrid could take care of anything, even if he did prefer the more dangerous ones.

**Dumbledore promised Hagrid could handle it, and Maxime instead said that this Hagrid was to know that her horses only drank single-malt whiskey.**

"Expensive," Lily raised a brow in surprise.

"So I can hope this won't go on your ever growing list of pets then," James smiled.

Lily nodded her agreement, then shook her head as she was still boggling at how much they must drink of this.

**Dumbledore promised this would be done, and then Maxime and her students headed inside.**

**Seamus began talking to them about how if Durmstrang's horses were any bigger, even Hagrid couldn't handle them.**

"Nah, I sincerely doubt they'd bring the same thing," Sirius shrugged.

"It's not like they asked each other in advance," Remus pointed out, "they might have."

"A Durmstrang school arriving by horse carriage," James raised a challenging brow, "I somehow doubt it."

"Stereotyping," Lily snipped.

James stuck his tongue out at her, since clearly no one else was going to argue against him.

**Harry voiced Hagrid would be lucky to be taking care of anything after he was done with the skrewts. Ron said back that if they were lucky, they'd all escaped.**

"Oh that would be a nightmare," Lily shuddered, "them running all over the grounds."

"Wandering into the Forest and populating," James agreed solemnly, "I think I'd prefer to hear they all came down sick with something instead."

**Hermione shuddered in protest, thinking about all of those things running around the grounds.**

**The crowd elapsed back into silence, until a few minutes later when many began to murmur that they could hear something. It was a sucking noise, like water being pulled from a drain.**

"Ah," Sirius began in genuine confusion, but Remus was too curious to let anyone postulate.

**Lee Jordan was the first to shout about the lake, and they all looked to see that the smooth surface was being disrupted as if caught in a whirlpool**

"That is so cool!" James squealed, his mind running in all sorts of directions as he tried to guess before Remus could say how they were traveling by water.

**and what seemed to be rigging coming out.**

"It's a ship," Sirius crowed.

"That certainly is one way to travel," Remus agreed, his head bobbing so much with excitement it was likely to fall off.

"Oh please tell me you get a tour of that," James begged Harry, his mind already visualizing all the pirate like stuff that was most likely aboard.

Harry gave a childlike laugh back, hoping very much for the same thing as Remus eagerly read on a full description.

**The ship slowly rose, and settled back on the water's surface where it splashed against the shore before stilling. It looked skeletal in the moonlight, seeming to carry a fog around it as the portholes gave the impression of watching eyes. The sound of an anchor dropping could be heard, and they all watched a plank make shore.**

Remus still sounded like a giddy child as he read about that, though none of the others would have been any better. Lily was even imagining this sight in her mind's eye and couldn't deny the beauty of the scene, even if she'd never grown up with fantasies of pirates like most boys had at some point. She did voice aloud though, "now I'm half wishing this hadn't been hosted at Hogwarts, I'd want to know how they would have traveled to another school."

"That's a really good question," Harry agreed, "let me know if you think of anything."***

**They could only make out the silhouettes of those disembarking, and at first they all resembled the thick build of Crabbe and Goyle.**

Sirius made a funny sound, thinking he was all the more lucky he wasn't shipped off there now, as he might have come out looking like that as well.

**The closer they got though, they could see these students were instead wearing thick furs for their uniform.**

"Oh, that makes sense, Hermione did say they came from a colder climate," Remus agreed.

**The man in front was wearing clearly expensive ones of silver, matching his hair and goatee. Dumbledore greeted him as Karkaroff, and they both shook hands warmly. Karkaroff, in an oily voice with only lightly laced Russian, praised how good it was to be here at Hogwarts. Then he asked Dumbledore if one of his students could step forward, referring to him as Victor, as he had a bit of a cold.**

"Well that was sweet," Lily smiled, "but if the poor thing's feeling sick, I do wonder why he came along."

"He probably got sick on the way there," James shrugged.

**The student who stepped out of the crowd had a prominently curved nose and thick eyebrows.**

Harry gasped in shock, but when a prod from both James and Sirius still left him looking like a gaping fish, Remus read out eagerly.

**Harry did not require the punch he received from Ron, nor the hiss he put into his best friend's ear telling him that was Krum!**

"Victor Krum!" Sirius all but shouted, nearly bouncing in his seat at once. "You're going to get to spend the year watching a professional Quidditch player walk around Hogwarts!"

"Bloody hell you get to see the coolest things," James groaned, nearly vibrating in place as a million questions went buzzing around his mind of what he wanted to ask him!

Remus was snickering without remorse as his two friends kept babbling like this, and they'd mocked him for being excited about a rare breed of horse.

Harry broke out of his shock as well and looked just as delighted as either of them, quickly joining in on the conversation, saying how he hoped to maybe get some tips from him!

Even as Remus handed the book to her, and Lily found her spot, she realized they were still going full steam, so still smiling she got up and snuck off to the kitchen to go and fix dinner without any of them noticing. Remus was quickly wrangled into the boy's argument to settle some debate, so when Lily came back to announce the food was ready she had to say it three times to get through the lot of them.

They at in peace for what felt like the first time in ages, this was definitely their favorite book by far. The Voldemort mentions still terrified them if they thought about it too long, but they could brush that off and hope it would stop before they progressed any further. They truly hoped they could get through the rest of this book in the same manner.

* * *

*AlyCat3 actually has a story called Pensive, and several of the chapters in that story are moments like the one I just described, except in a full one-shot. I'd recommend it for more Marauder moments.

**Funny story about this one random seemingly unimportant line that I can't resist sharing with you all. I once saw online someone say that Harry Potter isn't realistic enough because it took place in the 90's, but not one girl had ever been mentioned wearing a butterfly. Below that, someone posted this one line, and I cracked up laughing hysterically as I just thought of someone furiously flipping through pages for this moment just to prove that person wrong.

***I sat around for like ten minutes trying to come up with something cool, but I really was at a loss. It would have been kind of funny if they all road Thestrals there, apparently arriving by nothing, but there's no way they would have flown that far, it's as bad a travel as broom honestly. I was also really angling towards the idea they all got there somehow from underground. You know, Beauxbatons got there by flying, Durmstrang by water, Hogwarts somehow would have dug a tunnel the whole way there or something...kay now I'm rambling and need to stop. So let me know if you have any ideas. And please don't suggest by dragon, that also crossed my mind, but I just cannot picture anyone, even Hagrid, taming one to pull that off.

...There is no point to that second * story, but I can't read that anymore without thinking of that moment. Hope you enjoyed!


	17. THE GOBLET OF FIRE

Loved every single suggestion you guys offered, thanks so much for the time you take to do so!

To the_badwolf: Thanks, I always love knowing what your favorite part of the chapter is!

To Cartlin;

Response: Well you certainly managed to highlight all the bad of the series, and I'm not really going to argue with any of the points you made, those are your opinions and I respect that. What I will say though, and maybe I'm speaking with a touch more nostalgia than is called for here, but personally I think there's a lot more magic to this series that comes from more than just the wands. I love these characters, they're actions are human and believable and they very often have to deal with the consequences of the often times poor decisions they make. I've tried my best in writing this to show both the good and the bad of all of these, and I hope that's come through...and doesn't disappoint in the end.

* * *

Lily hadn't been this happy about the book for this long since Harry's first year, and even then by this point her son had been in more than one deadly situation. Of course she couldn't deny the Voldemort mentioning's, but Harry was at school now where Dumbledore would even keep the worst of that away from him. She was all for hearing about her son sitting in the stands and enjoying this tournament, so after she handed the baby to Remus, that reminder she gave the boys actually quieted them down so she could start.

**Ron was still babbling in Harry's ear as they followed the Durmstrang students back into the school about that being Viktor Krum!**

"Are you sure, because I don't think he got that the first dozen times," Lily snorted.

"Quite being a killjoy Lily," Sirius shot back, "just imagine for a moment that your idol was around school, you'd be acting the same way."

Lily shrugged at that, not denying it.

**Hermione tried to get him to stop, reminding he was just a Quidditch player. Ron looked at her like he couldn't believe his ears.**

"I know I can't," James agreed.

**Reminding her he wasn't just any Quidditch player, he was the best Seeker there was! Ron hadn't even known he was still in school!**

"Actually that just makes him all the more interesting," Remus smiled. "Shows that he's thinking outside of his career, most others his age would have dropped everything."

**Ron wasn't the only one having a fan attack, there were several girls bickering about whether they could get Krum to sign something in lipstick.**

"I can't see why he wouldn't," Sirius snickered.

**Hermione still wasn't impressed, even as Ron turned to Harry and asked if he had anything Krum could sign with? Harry said he hadn't, he'd left his bag upstairs like everyone else.**

"Starting to wonder if this is why they told them to do just that," Lily mused.

**They went into the Great Hall to see that the Beauxbatons students were already seated at the Ravenclaw table with glum faces.**

"If you were worried about being home sick, you shouldn't have come," James snorted.

**A few of them still had their scarves on, and Hermione tisked at that, stating it wasn't that cold.**

"It probably is to them," Lily shrugged.

**Demanding of no one why they hadn't brought cloaks?**

They were all wondering that though.

**Ron wasn't paying any attention, watching the Durmstrangs who were still hesitating in the doorway, Ron trying to hiss at them to come sit at their table while telling Hermione to move.**

"Oh yes, I'm so sure Hermione scooting one seat over would have convinced him to sit over there," Sirius snickered, not pretending for one second he wouldn't have been just as bad.

**He was disappointed though when they instead sat at the Slytherin table.**

"Now why does that feel like a bad omen?" Remus rolled his eyes, he'd heard plenty of bad things about that school from Sirius though, so maybe he was being biased.

**They watched as Malfoy leaned in at once and began talking to Krum.**

"There's a tragedy," James pouted.

"I think it's good for him," Sirius said with a bit of a smug look. "He clearly needs all the help he can get, maybe Krum will convince him to give up on his own team all together when he finds out how bad the little brat is."

**Ron scathed it was just like Malfoy to smarm up to him.**

"Now who's being a hypocrite?" Lily rolled her eyes, considering he was being just as bad seconds ago.

**Muttering about how Krum could see right through Malfoys act, that people probably fawned over him all the time.**

"That I wouldn't doubt," Harry said with some sympathy, as he lived that problem.

**Then Ron asked where they would be sleeping, he had no problems kipping on the floor and Krum could have his bed.**

Causing all five of them to start snickering, knowing Ron wasn't kidding. He'd probably beg the house-elves never to wash his bedding again if Krum even sat on it.

**Hermione began laughing at him, while Harry at least pointed out the Durmstrang students were taking more of an interest then the Beauxbatons. They were all removing their furs and looking around with keen expressions, many picking up the golden plates in surprise and clearly impressed.**

"I can only imagine how much of an experience this is for them," Remus said with honest interest, his own mind spinning as for the first time he wondered what other wizards schools were really like.

**At the staff table, Filch was putting down more than two extra chairs, but when Harry asked why that could be, Ron wasn't listening, still watching Krum.**

"This is getting Colin creepy," Lily snorted.

"Leave him be," James rolled his eyes, "he's star struck."

"His best friend is one of the most famous names alive," Remus reminded with a slight wince.

"And he's used to that," Sirius waved him off, "but there's a difference in a household name, and a star name, and Krum is a star!"

Lily and Remus exchanged bemused looks, clearly they weren't getting through to these two any better than they would Ron.

**All the students had taken their place when the staff and guests arrived, and the moment the Beauxbatons caught sight of Maxime, they all took to their feet at once amongst a giggling crowd, but without a trace of embarrassment, didn't retake their seats until their Headmistress had.**

"Guess it's a French thing," Harry shrugged.

**Only Dumbledore kept his feet, welcoming the crowd with open warmth, and promising their stay here would be as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. A girl of the Beauxbatons lot, one still wearing a muffler over her head, sniffed in disbelief.**

"Oh she's going to be a lovely one," Lily scowled. Who came to someone else's school and did a stunt like that?!

**Hermione bristled, muttering that no one was making her be here.**

"Thank you," Remus grumbled in agreement.

**Dumbledore was still going, inviting them all to enjoy the feast. The moment he retook his seat, Karkaroff leaned in and began speaking to him. The plates magically filled at once, and the house-elves below had clearly gone all out on an exotic menu, as Harry identified several foreign things.**

"Eat your fill," Sirius said with honest envy, "sometimes foreign food's the best. Ever had a s'mores, those things will give your head a spin."*

Harry looked at him quizzically, but decided against asking.

**Ron was looking at a shellfish dish in particular as he asked what it could be.**

"That actually sounds kind of good," James said with interest, he didn't get to eat seafood enough.

**Hermione explained it was Bouillabaisse, she'd had it while on holiday in France, stating she enjoyed it. Ron still chose to pass it buy. As Harry ate, he seemed to feel the Great Hall was more crowded than usual, even though there were only about twenty extra people.**

"Really, each school only brought ten?" Remus asked in surprise. That seemed like a pretty big ship for so few students for the Cup to choose from.

"They don't want the whole of their seventh years missing a whole year I guess," Lily shrugged.

**It could be because of the standout colors, now that the Durmstrang had removed their furs you could see red uniforms beneath. Hagrid came in last, giving a friendly wave to where Harry and his friends sat, though they all noticed bandages on his fingers.**

"Oh the poor thing," Lily couldn't help but tisk, though her worry for Harry being around those skrewts increased if they were even starting to give Hagrid a problem.

"Those are really going to turn out to be something to have done that to Hagrid," Remus agreed, missing the concerned part of her tone, his mind still caught on the intrigue of those things.

**Ron couldn't help but chuckle as he realized the skrewts had finally found a food they liked, Hagrid's fingers.**

Causing all five of them to start snickering in total agreement.

**A new voice came in then with a French accent, asking if they were done with their bouillabaisse? Harry looked to see it had been the girl who laughed at Dumbledore during his speech.**

"I'd tell her I was going to eat the whole thing for that reason alone," Lily rolled her eyes.

**She'd finally taken her headgear off, revealing very long silver hair and large blue eyes. Ron went purple in shock, only able to gurgle in response.**

"Well, well, well," Sirius' laughter continued even louder.

"Best hope she doesn't turn out to be one of the champions," James said mildly, "I might disown Ron if he starts voting for his new love interest over Hogwarts."

Harry blinked in confusion at his dad, just knowing there was something in what he'd just said, but Lily only gave them an indulgent smile before moving on.

**Harry answered instead, pushing the dish towards her. She asked if they'd like it, and Ron finally managed to get out he'd loved it.**

"I'm sure Ron loves every bit of it," Remus muttered, causing Lily to snort, which she quickly tried to hide as a cough as she moved on.

**Both boys watched her walk away with her dish, and Ron finally came back to his senses enough to speak normally again, telling them that was a veela!**

"I think Ron's been having one too many dreams about those," Sirius said with a knowing look, "and now he's seeing them everywhere."

Harry cocked his head to the side, a little spot where he was sure he may have said something to that, but it was such a small thing it hardly registered.

**Hermione told him that as he was the only one being an idiot, that wasn't likely.**

"Did I detect a hint of jealousy?" Lily asked.

"Just because Harry doesn't go for blondes doesn't mean there's not a dozen other guys watching," Remus shrugged.

**She wasn't entirely right, as Harry watched several other guys turn heads to watch the girl retake her seat.**

"Least Ron's not the only one in that boat," James chuckled.

**Ron was being insistent that wasn't a normal girl, you couldn't find them like that at Hogwarts!**

"I'm sure your female best friend just loved that one," Lily scowled on Hermione's behalf.

**Harry disagreed they came alright at Hogwarts, his eyes now on Cho who was a few seats down from the other girl.**

Causing an eruption of giggles from the others at Harry's expense, who was now wishing he'd gone back and sewn his mouth shut at some point.

**Hermione was getting tart with them as she told that the rest of their guests had arrived.**

"I'm going to give you that one Lily," Sirius said with a winning smile Harry was still trying to ignore, "Hermione is definitely jealous of someone."

Harry didn't react, he was still too busy keeping a steady eye on the carpet.

"The question is who," Lily agreed with honest interest. Of course she may have been acting like a prat again, just because Hermione had two boys for friends didn't mean she had to have a crush on one of them. Still, it couldn't feel good for the poor thing that neither of them ever complimented her like that.

**She was gesturing back at the staff table, where Bagman**

"Bagman's back!" Sirius unbelievably brightened all the more. "You've now got two Quidditch stars walking around Hogwarts! I can't believe I won't get a chance to meet them!"

Remus was sorely tempted to tell his friend off for possibly having mixed priorities then, but Lily had already rolled her eyes at him and moved on.

**and Crouch were taking seats.**

"I think I found the rest of our judges," James said in surprise.

"Why them though?" Harry said quickly, more than happy to hear about anything that wasn't girls at the moment. "They're from our Ministry, like you guys said earlier, shouldn't they get someone that has no relation to us."

"Don't ask us, we didn't put it together," James shrugged.

**Harry asked why they could be here, and Hermione said it was probably because they'd helped put the tournament together, they'd want to be there for the start.**

"Well there's that to," James agreed, "the other two judges might not show up until later."

"Why wouldn't they show up with the rest of them?" Lily asked.

Again James shrugged, he was guessing as much as the rest of them.

**After dinner was done dessert came up in the same manner, and Ron made sure to place a French dish in the sight of the veela girl, who did not make a reappearance.**

"Poor Ron," Sirius said sincerely, "maybe he won't change colors after the meal so he can go up and talk to her, ask how she liked dinner."

"You say that likes it's so easy," Harry muttered without thinking, knowing he'd never be able to stammer out such a thing to Cho.

"It is with practice," Sirius said at once, his eyes lighting as he watched Harry flush slightly who was clearly regretting having opened his mouth, but did indeed watch Sirius with polite, if dumbfounded, interest as he launched into a full volley of the number of topics he'd gotten started with that had landed him with dates.

James watched with a rising sense of verdant eyes, and quickly turned away to tune them out. Sirius had always made jokes that his kids would have to come to their Uncle Padfoot for dating advice, seeing as James had only ever gotten together with one girl in school and Heather had asked him out first. He'd only agreed, and dated her for a total of three months, to try and make Lily jealous during their fourth year. When that stunt clearly wasn't working and James was starting to feel bad for leading a girl on when all he kept doing was watching his favorite red head, he'd dumped her much to her protest. Of course once he'd gotten his dream in his first date with Lily, he'd never looked back with regret, but Sirius had never quite seemed able to let the joke go that any future kids of theirs would have to turn to anyone but their parents for dating advice.

Lily hadn't been much better, seeing as she'd basically been a social pariah to the male population of the school for a long time having hung out with Snape, and then once they'd stopped being friends any suitors she did have mysteriously wound up in the hospital wing though no one, ahem Marauders included, would take credit for why.

Of course neither parent would go back and change it, but now that they realized they wouldn't even be there to witness Harry growing up and even trying to talk about these things, the wedding ring on his finger was more than proof enough he'd long since figured out anything Sirius was currently telling him, watching Sirius dole this out was definitely rubbing them the wrong way.

Lily shared a commiserating look with her husband, before clearing her throat loudly and saying, "alright Sirius, I put up with having to watch all that, don't make me relive it." Then she started reading again loudly before he could protest it was all just for fun.

Before turning his attention back to her though, Harry shot his dad a grateful look and mouthed 'thank you.' If he was under the impression James had put Lily up to stopping that, James wasn't going to correct him.

**After those plates cleared as well, Harry wasn't the only one watching the staff table with unbridled excitement. Dumbledore took to his feet, announcing that the Triwizard Tournament was about to begin. He wanted to speak for a moment before the casket was brought in,**

"Err, should I be worried they've already got burials started," Harry asked with concern, not realizing the terrible wince this came with may have a deeper meaning then his first layer of concern.

"I said casket, not coffin," Lily corrected with a small smile.

"A casket is a nicer way to say coffin," Harry corrected right back with a very uneasy look.

"Relax pup," Sirius snickered, "you'll see in a minute."

Harry was still watching them all, clearly not any kind of comforted, so Lily decided not to keep him in suspense too much longer.

**about some clarifications. Introducing Bartemius Crouch and Ludo Bamgan and their titles at the Ministry. As the first name was called, there were a few halfhearted claps, but once Bagmans was, the applause was much warmer. Perhaps it was because of his old Beater status, or he just looked friendlier.**

"I honestly believe the second," Remus agreed.

**Dumbledore explained that Bagman and Crouch were also going to be on the panel of judges hosting the Triwizard Tournament, along with all the heads of the schools.**

"Nope, guess we should all just get ready for Britain to be accused of being biased," James shrugged as he finally got the final answer for that.

"Assuming Hogwarts even wins," Remus said with a challenging smirk back, in no way meaning it, just looking to pick a fun jab at his friend and see the reaction.

James puffed up, fully preparing to defend their school that there was no contest, but Lily still chose to ignore the both of them. One glance at her son and she could tell he was already turning green, clearly any talk of this was hurting him as he must have a memory of who did win, but bringing it up now would do no good to him.

**Dumbledore did have a casket brought in then, a very old wooden chest encrusted with jewels.**

Harry couldn't help it, the closer this Tournament got to getting started, the worse he was feeling. He hadn't felt so terrible since the lead up of finding out Pettigrew was still alive. Clearly something terrible happened during this tournament, and the more he tried to push away any feelings he was getting, the harder his head was starting to pound.

**Dumbledore once again explained that precautions had been set in place to prevent any student from dying this year, then went on to say that the champions would be facing three challenges all designed to test a different part of them. One student from each school would be selected, from the Goblet of Fire.**

"Oh," Harry murmured. He supposed a magical object would be the most fair in selecting the students for this, it certainly wouldn't be biased.

**Dumbledore reached into the casket then and pulled out an unmemorable chalice, but its contents left the whole hall breathless. It was brimming with blue-white fire. The lid of the casket was closed, and Dumbledore placed the Goblet of Fire on top of it so that everyone could see its flickering flames. Then he told that after everyone put their names in, the Goblet would decide who the champions were tomorrow night, Halloween.**

"Well how does that work?" Harry couldn't help but ask, forcing the buzzing out of his ears for a moment. His head felt like it was being stuffed, and perhaps further conversation about the Goblet wouldn't help, but it was better than trying to ignore it which was apparently doing no good. "How does just writing your name down make the Goblet determine anything?"

"The Goblet of Fire is a deeply powerful magical object," Lily said as she cast her mind back, trying to think up anything she might once have heard about this. "I know that the founders of Hogwarts, and those who started Beauxbatons and Durmstrang all had a hand in creating this fire. It was designed to absorb the essence of whoever put something in its fire, and judge those who were worthy."

"That's pretty cool," James said honestly.

"Starting to wish all the more I'd had a chance at this," Sirius agreed with a sigh.

**The Goblet would be in the entrance hall, where anyone who was able could place their name. Dumbledore would be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet, so that those who were not seventeen couldn't attempt.**

"Well that'll do it," Remus chuckled.

"Won't stop those like the twins trying to get around it," Sirius disagreed with a wicked grin.

**Dumbledore gave one last word of warning then, instructing that entering your name into the Goblet would put you in a binding magical contract. If your name was selected, you would be a champion, and there was no backing out after that.**

The longer his mother continued on this part of Dumbledore's speech, the lower Harry's heart sank. Surely he must be misunderstanding this feeling though, it couldn't possibly have anything to do with him...right? He must just be feeling bad for whoever the Hogwarts student was...

"I don't see what the lecture is for," James rolled his eyes. "The Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students wouldn't have come if they weren't willing to go all the way, and anybody at Hogwarts who puts their name in should understand by now what they're getting themselves into."

"Can't say he didn't warn them," Remus shrugged.

**Dumbledore ended his speech there, instructing them all to have a pleasant night. Fred was absolutely gleeful at the news of an Age Line, all it would take was an Aging Potion to get past that.**

"Theoretically," Lily scoffed, "but do they really think Dumbledore won't account for that?"

"Maybe he won't," James said eagerly, "sometimes the simplest solutions often get overlooked."

Harry tried to latch onto this lighthearted conversation, trying to convince himself that maybe he was just worried for one of the Weasley twins. Maybe they got in and they regretted it, something other than his own self being involved in this!

**Once they were in, the Goblet wouldn't know the difference.**

**Hermione disagreed, saying that anyone who wasn't seventeen shouldn't try, they hadn't learned enough.**

"Age is a number," Sirius scoffed. "Hermione can do a potion most sixth and seventh years can't, and everyone's got different strengths. Theoretically any student could win this."

"I'm still happy they can't try," Lily murmured with a protective eye on her Hare Bare, growing more concerned the longer she kept going that Harry somehow kept losing a shade a color the longer she dragged on. She couldn't imagine why, what on earth did he have to be so worried about?

**George told her to speak for herself, asking if Harry would try for it? Harry's mind did flash back to that wonderful daydream of what it would feel like to win the Tournament,**

Harry gave a blithe smile to show how much he was kidding with that thought...so why did that terrible idea somehow make every one of his feelings grow ten times worse?

**and wondered how mad Dumbledore would be if anyone got past his Age Line.**

"Like Fred said, he can't do anything about it," Remus chuckled, "if the Goblet sets up a contract the moment their name's in, no one can do anything to get them out of it."

No one noticed Harry's hands starting to shake, and he quickly tried to tuck them out of sight.

**Ron clearly wasn't listening as he asked where 'he' was,**

"You sure he said he, and not she?" Sirius couldn't help but grin at Lily.

She ignored him.

**watching the Durmstrang students file out and complaining that Dumbledore hadn't said where their visitors would be sleeping.**

"Ron's going to be so much fun this year," James snickered. "If he's not freaking out about being around his Quidditch idol, he's going to be drooling after a girl."

**The question was answered as they saw Karkaroff at the Slytherin table, talking to his students about heading back to the ship. Then he asked Viktor if he'd had enough to eat, if his head was feeling better, should he have some more wine?**

In the excitement of his name being revealed, they'd almost forgotten that Krum was apparently feeling under the weather. Now knowing who it was that was supposedly sick, the four who had never met him in person couldn't help but scowl lightly, wondering how much he used his fame around school.

**Krum told his Headmaster he was feeling fine, but then another student jumped in saying he wouldn't mind some. Karkaroff snapped at him, telling him he'd disgraced their school by getting food all over his robes and he wouldn't be receiving anything.**

Which instantly seemed to clarify the situation for them. Karkaroff was clearly being chummy with his star of a student, but that in no way extended to any other student. He shouldn't speak to that boy like that, so he'd made a mess, that was no reason to insult him in public like that!

**Karkaroff began leading the way to the door, and Harry and his friends stopped to let them pass first. Karkaroff at first barely batted an eye as he said thanks, but then he did a double take upon seeing Harry.**

"Oh joy," James muttered in disgust.

"Please don't tell me he'll turn into another Diggory senior," Sirius sniffed.

**Karkaroff froze on the spot, his eyes zeroing in on Harry's forehead, causing several of his students behind him to look on with gaping mouths as well.**

"Subtle," Lily hissed, wanting to give them all a smack for gawking like that.

**Moody arrived then, telling them all that was indeed Harry Potter. Karkaroff whirled around, and seemed even more surprised to find the ex auror, but much more terrified.**

"Well what's this now?" Remus yelped, trying to lean around Lily and look at the book himself.

Lily shoved his face back out of the way, but it didn't erase her own surprise and unease as she began, "ah, are you really thinking what I am?"

"That Moody might know Karkaroff the same way Snape does," Sirius agreed at once, his eyes suddenly narrowed in a whole new way. "Can't imagine why anyone else would look like that around an auror."

"Are you telling me an old Death Eater managed to be head of a school!" Lily balked in disgust at that idea.

"A Death Eater managed to be teacher at a school," James reminded bitterly, "it's not too much of a step up."

Lily sighed and turned back to the book, wondering if they were all being too suspicious. There could be another reason Karkaroff would be afraid of Moody...though she couldn't think up one right now.

Harry had so much practice of late, it wasn't too hard to keep his expression as steady and neutral as possible so as not to reveal that his first instinct was to say they were all right on point with this one. It wasn't any more encouraging that this may be where he had known Karkaroff's name.

**When Karkaroff just kept gaping, Moody suggested he should move along, he was causing a blockade. He was right, several students were now bottled at the door, trying to look over each other's shoulder for the holdup.**

Harry gave a blistering sigh. It wasn't a pleasant reminder that his presence had caused a whole block up of the Great Hall, but for once even realizing how famous he was, was still nicer to think about than whatever was driving his mind crazy recently.

**Karkaroff turned on the spot and without another word marched off. Moody's magical eye followed him the whole way, his face showing nothing but dislike.**

"Well that's not encouraging," James muttered, his fingers starting to tap out a rhythm on his knee in agitation.

**Saturday usually meant a sleep in, but the trio weren't the only ones up bright and early, racing down to the Great Hall to see the Goblet had been set up as Dumbledore had said, a golden line encircling it ten feet around.**

"Does it go above it?" James asked with high interest, his mind already spinning on how he'd get his broom into the hall and pass his name into the Goblet before anyone could stop him.

"I'm sure it goes in the full sphere of its diameter," Lily grumbled without looking up.

**There was a crowd hovering around the fringes of the walls, and Ron asked a random student if anyone from Hogwarts had put their name in yet? She responded she knew Durmstrang had first thing in the morning, but hadn't seen anyone else. Harry voiced that anyone from their school had probably done it last night when no one was watching. It would be embarrassing if it just spit the name right back out.**

"Yeah, I can see Harry's point on that," Remus agreed.

**Laughter came from the top of the stairs then, announcing Fred, George, and Lee's arrival who were all running forward, Fred hissing as they did that they'd taken it! Ron asked what,**

"Oh keep up Ron," Sirius scoffed, his eyes lighting like a child.

"Oh I hope his brother's get it," James wriggled in place.

**and George pointed out the Aging Potion of course! They'd only needed a drop, as it was only a few months till their birthday. Lee agreed if any of them won, they'd split the money three ways. Hermione still tried to warn them Dumbledore had prevented this, but she was ignored.**

"Can't even blame them," Remus chuckled, he probably would have as well.

**Fred stepped forward first, and didn't even hesitate as he jumped across the line.**

All four boys felt like they were holding their breaths as well, fingers crossed that if they could pick their Hogwarts champion, one of the twins would be it!

**It seemed to have worked, George certainly thought so, as he took to his brother's side and both pulled out a bit of parchment with their name on it. They hadn't taken another step forward though, when the area at their feet sizzled, and they were thrown back by an unseen force. It didn't quite end when they landed, as both sat up with long white beards on their faces.**

Lily paused with an astounded look on her face, before bursting out laughing. Every one of them were quick to join in. It was a pity they hadn't made it, but glory it had nearly been worth it just for them to receive this lovely mental image!

Lily caught her breath back first, and had to read slightly louder than normal to make sure her rowdy boys could still hear her.

**Everyone in the vicinity began laughing, and after the twins got a look at each other, joined in.**

"The good ones always know how to laugh at themselves," Remus agreed, wiping a happy tear away as he still beamed down at the book.

**Dumbledore appeared then, saying he had warned them, with a happy smile of his own in place. He told those surrounding him that the Weasley twins weren't the first to have tried, several others were already up at the Hospital wing getting beards removed.**

"At least Dumbledore appreciates the attempt," Sirius sighed happily.

**Fred and George went up there as well, accompanied by a still laughing Lee.**

"There's the proper friend as well," James was still chuckling under his breath and made no attempts to stop soon.

**Harry and his friends went in to breakfast then, finding the usual Halloween decorations.**

All of their faces couldn't help but drop at the reminder, as so far Harry had a terrible track record of this holiday. That must end this year though, nothing this year had anything to do with Harry. Unless another troll got in, Harry should just watch the champions get selected and go to bed as excited as everyone else.

**They'd hardly taken their seats when Dean and Seamus arrived, Dean announcing he'd heard that Warrington of Slytherin had put his name in.****

Sirius looked properly disgusted at the very thought, snapping, "no way would I go for a Slytherin being the face of Hogwarts. I'd go for Durmstrang first."

"You're such a prat," Lily snapped at once, eyeing him carefully to see if he really meant that.

"Ah he didn't mean it," James rolled his eyes, still not looking any happier himself as he grumped, "but I can't deny I won't be rooting for anyone who isn't a Gryffindor as well."

Lily had to fight down the impulse to whack them both over the heads.

**Harry disagreed at once, saying they couldn't have a Slytherin champion.**

"Thank you Harry, my point exactly," Sirius nodded, waving his hand towards Harry like that set his point in stone.

Remus lifted a pillow in one hand and gave Lily a questioning look, but she shook her head and he put it back down with a slight pout.

Harry was rubbing the bridge of his nose in clear agitation, as far as the others were concerned because he was trying not to laugh that he agreed with Sirius, but deep down he was fighting off word vomit that this wasn't going to be a problem, that maybe his dad had hit a little closer to the mark.

**Seamus kept going by saying that all the Hufflepuffs were behind Diggory, but Seamus was just surprised he'd enter, putting his pretty looks on the line. Hermione wasn't listening, her attention on the cheering crowd back outside. Angelina came in blushing amongst the praise, taking a seat near them and declaring she'd just put her name in.**

"Oh sweet!" James and Sirius cheered at once.

"Now she'll get my vote any day," Remus snickered.

Harry was practically beaming now, thinking that Angelina must be it! She made perfect sense with everything he'd been thinking, she was a Gryffindor and of course he'd be worried if one of his fellow Quidditch team mates entered! He dutifully ignored that there was no reassurance from his gut on that statement, keeping his mind blissfully ignorant of anything else now that he seemed to have slightly settled.

**Angelina had just had her birthday last week,**

"Good on her," Lily couldn't help but agree.

"Though it must feel like an injustice to the twins," Sirius said sadly. "It really does feel like they got cheaped out since they just didn't have a birthday in time."

The others just shrugged. Even if they did agree, they couldn't do anything about it.

**and Hermione agreed all the Gryffindors were happy for her. Seamus definitely put in she was better than pretty-boy Diggory.**

Harry could not stop the convulsion that caused him, drawing concerned looks from all around, but all he could offer was a weak smile in return and a listless shrug saying he had no idea what his problem was. Lily pursed up her lips for a moment, Harry really was starting to worry her as clearly something was deeply bothering him, but she knew better than to ask him about it.

**causing several Hufflepuffs passing their table to scowl heavily at him.*****

"Why were they passing your table?" James asked in surprise. "They're at the opposite end of the hall."

"They were going to talk to some other Gryffindors down a bit," Harry murmured, clearly not distracted from whatever was bothering him.

**Ron changed the subject by asking what they were going to do for the day, and Harry suggested they hadn't been to Hagrid's yet.**

"It's October and you haven't gone to see him yet?" James balked, since this had seemed like a regular occurrence Harry's first and second year. The only reason they hadn't his third was because Harry hadn't actually been allowed to.

"We saw him during class," Harry defended, "and we had been really busy with school work."

**Ron agreed, so long as they weren't expected to donate fingers to the skrewts.**

"Your fingers should be safe," Remus smirked.

**Hermione suddenly beamed as she realized she hadn't asked Hagrid about S. P. E. W. yet.**

"Well this should be interesting," Sirius said honestly, as he'd never spoken to Hagrid on the subject.

**They ate breakfast, but then Hermione demanded the boys wait for her as she shot up the stairs to go get her stuff. They were waiting around when Harry pointed out Ron's veela friend and the rest of Beauxbatons came in.**

"I don't know if I'd call her a friend quite yet," James snickered.

"Let's see if we can't find out her name, then we'll move up to acquaintance," Sirius agreed with a grin.

**The crowd watched as they all walked past, only stopping to drop their name in the fire. Every time someone did, the flames momentarily flashed red, then switched back.**

"Least it didn't spit them back out," Remus chuckled at Harry's previous suggestion.

**Ron asked what would happen to those who weren't champion, would they stay in support of their school?**

"I can't imagine why they'd leave," Lily said in surprise. "They wouldn't ship them all back and leave the one on their own, plus I'm under the impression they're sleeping in how they arrived."

**Harry suggested that as the heads were judges, the other students would most likely stay. When the Beauxbatons students were done, they turned around and headed back to the grounds just as Hermione arrived, and Ron was quick to trail after the French school who had parked their carriage not too far away from Hagrid's, and were climbing back inside. Their horses grazing in a makeshift paddock.**

The boys either nodded or shrugged as they got their confirmation, they hadn't really been too worked up about the answer.

**Harry knocked on Hagrid's door, who opened it with a beaming smile for them as he joked they'd forgotten where he lived.**

"Oh yes, I'm sure that was the reason," Remus chuckled.

**Hermione started to explain they'd been really busy, when she cut herself off in surprise.**

"Err," James began, but Lily quickly read out what had Harry looking just as shocked.

**Hagrid was wearing a hairy, and ugly, suit that still had mothballs on it and a clashing yellow and orange tie. His wild hair had apparently been tempted at taming, pulled into bunches in the back as if he'd first tried a ponytail, but then simply slicked back with grease. The three just stood there gaping at him, before Hermione seemed to decide not to say anything and instead asked how the skrewts were.**

"No, no!" Sirius began waving his hands frantically to make sure Lily didn't try to avoid the subject as well. "You most definitely comment on this!"

"So, I think Hagrid's trying a new look," Remus said mildly.

"That about covered it," Lily agreed, looking like she was already going to turn back to the pages.

"You must be joking," James was now ogling the pair as much as the book. "How can you not want to talk about this?!"

"Leave Hagrid be," Lily gently scolded, "it's not like it's a real mystery, clearly Ron's not the only one who's been fetched by the French arrival."

"There's no since in laughing at him about it," Remus agreed, though his twitching mouth made it clear he was trying his hardest to follow his own advice.

James and Sirius exchanged pouting looks, but decided against arguing with the pair about it. Perhaps they needed to convince Remus to move, he was clearly getting too chummy with Lily over there agreeing with her so much of late.

**Hagrid happily answered they were out by the pumpkins, growing larger every day, three feet by now.**

Lily grimaced in disgust, maybe she would prefer to talk about Hagrid.

**He was disappointed to note that they'd started killing each other,**

"Oh no," Harry muttered with every last drop of sarcasm he had.

**Hermione managed to say how sad this was, while shooting Ron a look that he clearly ignored as he tried to say something about Hagrid's hair.**

"Those boys are so lucky they have Hermione around," Lily huffed, rolling her eyes at her own boys who were clearly still muscling down anything they wanted to say about it.

**Hagrid clearly didn't notice, stating he only had about twenty left.**

"So close," James said with a snap of his fingers, that coming out a beat too off from normal, but still rolling far easier than his previous attempts, so all of them pretended not to notice.

**Ron agreed this was lucky, while Hagrid missed the sarcasm of that.**

"Well maybe next time," Sirius offered.

**Hagrid's cabin had always been warm and cozy, and they spent the day discussing with him all about the Tournament. Hagrid was just as excited for this as anyone.**

"Oh I'm sure all the staff are," Remus agreed.

"They just have to show it a bit less," Lily nodded.

**He kept dropping little hints that they were going to love this, then quickly trying to change the subject that he shouldn't mention anything.**

"You weren't supposed to talk about Fluffy either, and yet," James rolled his eyes.

Harry gave his dad a nudge for that, they'd all admitted they weren't going to hold that against Hagrid.

**The kids tried to convince him otherwise, but he just shook his head with a grin.**

"Now where was this attitude in your first year?" Lily couldn't help but mutter an agreement with James.

**Hagrid didn't want to spoil anything for them, but those champions were in for it. Hagrid never thought he'd live to see the Tournament be put on like this!**

That gave all four of them an odd pause, as two of them realized they hadn't reached this age, that they should have been alive to be as impressed with this as Hagrid. They hadn't ever really forgotten per say, but it was a bit of a smack in the face all of a sudden to realize otherwise.

**They ended up eating lunch at Hagrid's, which they regretted when he served beef casserole and Hermione found a talon in hers.**

"Err," Remus said with genuine concern.

"What kind of beef-" Sirius began slowly.

Lily shook her head to indicate she hadn't the faintest idea, before continuing if looking a little green around the edges.

**They decided they were done with food after that, but still spent the rest of the afternoon speculating what the champions would be up to, and wondering whether Fred and George were beardless yet.**

Causing another round of snickering at that lovely reminder.

**Rain started to patter down as the sun set, and Harry and Ron felt completely at ease as they watched Hermione argue with Hagrid now, as he flat out refused to join S. P. E. W.**

"Well there you have it," Sirius said in absolute triumph as he smirked at Lily. "You know Hagrid would get behind anything that was being repressed, and yet here he is!"

Lily sighed as she ran her hand through her hair, still wanting to do some research of this on her own, but for now finally deciding to hatch away whatever her problem with Sirius was on this particular subject as she was so clearly outvoted. She must be missing something.

**Hagrid was saying how it wouldn't be doing those house-elves any good trying to force what Hermione was saying on them, it would be insulting. Hermione pressed that Dobby was free, and he'd never been happier.**

"There's the odd one in every bunch," Remus muttered, thinking he classified under that. Most werewolf's purposely set themselves away from society, never even bothered to try and get wands or make an effort to be around people unless it was for some gruesome ulterior motive. Remus' parents had tried to do that to him for most of his younger years until Dumbledore had arrived and convinced them to try otherwise. Who knew what would have happened to him if they hadn't, maybe he would have turned out like the others of his kind out there.

**Hagrid agreed there was the odd one in every species, but most would refuse what Hermione was saying, and he wouldn't help her otherwise. Hermione did not look happy as she tucked her box away.**

"It really should be telling her something that she can't get one person older than her behind this," James pointed out.

"Hopefully she'll realize she needs to look into what she's talking about a little more," Sirius agreed.

**As dinner grew closer, Hagrid agreed he'd walk up there with them, but first he stepped over to his chest of drawers, and moments later they all plugged their noses from a terrible smell. Hermione choked as she asked if that was aftershave, and Hagrid blushed deeply as he muttered he didn't do cologne.**

"Aww," Lily cooed, "that's adorable."

"So you get to say how nice it is he's doing that, but we can't compliment his hair," James pouted.

"As if you were going to," Lily shot back.

"Presumptuous, and hurtful," Sirius mock pouted, pressing his hand to his heart which still didn't cover the grin that made it perfectly clear Lily wasn't wrong.

**At their faces though he did agree it was probably too much, and stepped outside to wash himself in a water barrel. As he was out of earshot, the three finally asked what was getting into him, but no one answered when Ron pointed out the window where Hagrid was more red than ever,**

"Well he did just get caught washing in a water barrel," Remus chuckled, "I'd be red to."

**while now talking to Maxime. Her students were just behind her, clearly they'd been stepping out to head up to the school as well, and though they couldn't hear what was being said, they did recognize the look on Hagrid's face as he spoke to the Headmistress. It was the same misty eyed look he'd gotten around his old baby dragon Norbert.**

"Oh now you know he's in deep," Sirius couldn't suppress a giggle any longer.

"Poor blokes over the moon," James sighed, giving his own adoring look to his wife and child.

Lily blushed slightly in shock for a moment, but couldn't deny her pleased tone as she kept going.

**Hermione was indignant at once though as Hagrid went off to the castle with her.**

"Ouch," Remus winced on the kids behalf.

"I felt so loved right then," Harry rolled his eyes indulgently, not finding it in him to be too mad at Hagrid for this.

**Without glancing back the two were chatting happily on their way to the school, Maxime's students having to sprint to keep up with their long strides. Ron finally stated the obvious, Hagrid fancied her.**

"Thank you for that wonderful observation cupid," Lily giggled.

**Adding on that if they had a baby, it would break records for weighing a ton.**

Causing all five of them to crack up laughing. It wasn't really that funny, but the fact that this was Ron's first comment caused the reaction to burst out of them.

**They left Hagrid's themselves then, and managed to run into the Durmstrang heading up as well, Krum in step with Karkaroff,**

Lily made an agitated little noise, despite the few thing she'd seen, still wondering how much Krum used his fame to get favor from his headmaster.

**the rest trailing behind. The Hogwarts students waited politely for their guests to step in first before following behind.**

**The Great Hall was set up for another feast, the Goblet of Fire placed in front of the staff table. They found a clean shaven Fred and George,**

"I would have kept mine," Remus snickered, "glorious fashion statement it is."

**seeming not to disappointed as they were wishing Angelina good luck.**

"Same," they all murmured agreement, Harry with less conviction than he'd meant to as he was still fighting off something to do with this topic.

**The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual.**

"Honestly, I would have had the feast after the Champions were selected," James pointed out. "Sort of a celebration to the lot of them."

**Every student seemed to only be picking at the food, watching Dumbledore expectantly to see when he'd be done.**

"James' point," Sirius agreed, "they would have loved that much more congratulating their champion."

**Finally when the dishes were clean, Dumbledore took to his feet. The other heads of houses were watching him just as breathlessly, while Bagman was winking and waving at the crowd, though Crouch looked almost bored.**

"Merlin, who can actually look bored right now," Remus demanded of nothing, sitting on the edge of his own seat in excitement for this news.

**Dumbledore began to instruct that once the Goblet was ready, it would give him the name of the champion, who would then go behind the staff table to the adjacent room where they would receive first instructions. He waved his wand, and all the lights went out except the Goblet itself.**

"Dramatic," Sirius hissed under his breath in the most mystical voice he could offer, causing his friends to start snickering again.

**Every person present was vibrating with baited breath, many whispering it would happen any moment.**

Harry couldn't help a bone deep shiver, wondering why on earth he should enjoy these precious last few seconds. What on earth could be fixing to happen?

The others did notice, but they were all convinced it was just Harry being as excited for this as them.

**Finally, the flames changed color again, and amongst the red sparks came one bit of paper shooting out. Dumbledore caught it, and announced the Durmstrang champion, was Viktor Krum.**

"Bully for him," Sirius chuckled while all of them could only look mildly amused. It was Hogwarts they were really wanting to see! Though the fact that the esteemed Quidditch player had been selected, they couldn't deny interest of, as Sirius and James at least really would like to hear more about him.

**The hall burst into cheers of applause as the Quidditch star slumped to his feet and shuffled off.**

"Well he's clearly enthusiastic," Lily chuckled.

**Karkaroff in particular could be hearing shouting jovially for Viktor.**

Remus rolled his eyes, and he wasn't the only one. They were already rather agitated at Karkaroff's obvious favoritism of this student, even if they didn't have proof yet if the other appreciated it. Still, at least this time it was warranted.

**The silence died down fairly quickly, and only a few beats later did it all happen again with the Beauxbatons student,**

James let out a pitiful groan, why did Hogwarts have to be last!

**Fleur Delacour.**

Harry was relieved for only a moment as this name returned to him, though it only added to his wonder of why he'd think anything of the other schools champion. Even this brief distraction still didn't help with the terrible build up he was feeling in the pit of his stomach, telling him he'd better savor his life now.

**Harry shouted in surprise it was the veela girl for Ron's benefit**

"Oh wow," Lily said in only mild surprise, only being able to garner up about as much enthusiasm for her as Krum. Maybe even less so, they wanted to know the Hogwarts one already!

**as she got gracefully to her feet and practically pranced out of sight. Hermione noticed the others from her school weren't as pleased, many of them had burst into tears at not being picked.**

"Jeez," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I don't know, considering what was offered up, I'd be pretty disappointed if I didn't get in," James shrugged.

**When Fleur left, the thickest silence of all fell upon the room. Finally it was Hogwarts.**

The three Marauders were wriggling with so much excitement it was getting hard for Lily to stay focused, they were all so intent on hearing who was going to represent their school no one really noticed Harry losing a shade of color with every word.

**The Goblet flashed red for supposedly the last time, Dumbledore caught another strip of paper, and read out the name Cedric Diggory.**

"Bollocks," James and Sirius pouted at once, leaning back into their seats with pouting lips. They'd really been banking on Angelina.

"Still better than Warrington," Remus sighed, his own mouth puckered slightly.

"Oh stop," Lily scolded them all with a snicker. "Just because Gryffindor didn't get in. At least we know Diggory's a good lad, it's nice to know he'll be fair in this Tournament. I've heard one too many stories about all the cheating that goes on during this thing."

One of the Marauders may have said something back, but then they finally seemed to realize one outstanding person hadn't spoken a word since he'd left Hagrid's, and all eyes turned to Harry to see him blinking spastically behind his glasses, his breaths coming out rather strangled, his lips trembling like he needed to say something but no noise was coming out.

The four of them exchanged almost frightened looks now, not one of them really wanting to comprehend what could be so bad about this. Their mind flickered back, and they suddenly remembered when Harry had first heard Cedric's name. At least this did explain some of Harry's behavior towards him, he would be worried about the Hogwarts champion in this dangerous quest, but this was still pretty bad for someone who was practically a stranger. Did something happen to him during the Tournament then? It was all they could come up with to explain how their boy was reacting.

Lily still hesitated, like she wanted to offer her son some comfort, but Remus waved her on with his own eyes watching Harry very carefully. They all knew by now it really was best to just push past and get to a new topic, rather than letting Harry linger on something too long that could hurt him.

**Ron gave a cry of agitation, but it wasn't heard in the tumultuous noise made by the Hufflepuff table as they all got to their feet in a stampede of cheering while Cedric made his way past Dumbledore.**

If Harry wasn't freaking them out so much, they all honestly might have joined in. Despite their initial teasing, they couldn't deny they were happy for the choice even if it hadn't been their first pick. Aside from the fact that they would admit they liked Cedric on principle considering how he'd been told to act after that disastrous Quidditch match against Harry, it was just nice to see the Hufflepuffs getting so excited over something.

**Dumbledore congratulated all three champions,**

Harry shivered so hard it made James and Sirius on either side of him startle, but while the two exchanged wide eye looks Lily still didn't want to stop until that look was off her son's face.

**saying he expected them all to support their champions- but he was cut off, and no one needed to ask by what.**

Lily looked up expectantly, like she was hoping that now Cedric was gone and something new was happening Harry might be getting better, but the opposite was happening. He was trembling nonstop now, his chest kept stuttering as his breaths hitched and he clearly wasn't taking in a word as they all asked what was going on.

Lily made to put the book down and go over to him, but Remus caught her and shook his head, looking imploringly at the book. Lily knew deep down it would be better if she just got whatever was bothering him out, but it didn't really get rid of her desire to be at her sons side when he was clearly so distraught either. She had to take a deep breath and one last protective look at her boy before she could finish.

**The Goblet of Fire had flamed red again, and for the last time a piece of paper shot out of it.**

'Oh, he's not.' James couldn't seem to swallow, his eyes darting from Harry to the book and back so fast it was blurring out everything.

One thought was running through all four of them. 'Why would the Goblet being going off again? It was supposed to only do that three times, right?'

**Dumbledore caught it on instinct, and stared for a long time at the slip. The hall was deadly quiet as he whispered the name Harry Potter.**

Harry sat there, too dumbstruck to realize there was no obligatory 'what?!' from the rest of his family.

* * *

*A lovely fan, Queen Paddie, pointed out to me that s'mores were only an American food back in chapter 7, so I went back and changed it, but I just couldn't resist putting that in here now that I know.

** You know what I honestly would have loved to see though? If this had happened. Don't get me wrong, the Cedric plot line isn't bad, but can you just imagine if this had happened to a Slytherin? I can still imagine Harry sharing the tip about the dragon with Warrington because he'd still think it should be equally fair even if he didn't like the guy, I like to think Warrington still would have paid him back with the egg tip because he'll repay his debts even to a Gryffindor. Then in the end when Warrington still dies, it would just be the biggest slap in the face for all the Voldemort supporters to realize that their precious Dark Lord had killed a pureblood as a spare as readily from his own precious house as any? Don't get me wrong, I'm a proud Hufflepuff and love my house getting some attention in this book, but I feel like that would have been a huge impact, even more than Cedric's.

***I've been trying to figure out the Hogwarts school tables for ages, and I think I'm overthinking this. If you go back and read the passage from the first book where they're first being sorted, Harry lays out the tables for you. Facing the tables from right to left, it's Hufflepuffs table on the far right, and then from that table on it's Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor at the end. This makes sense as Harry's said several times he's had to pass every table to get to his own. Yet in the very next chapter, Harry says that he has to walk in between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables. Did the tables switch and this is a mess up on JK's part, or am I misunderstanding something? My suggestion is loose at best, so if I've got this wrong somehow, please correct me.


	18. THE FOUR CHAMPIONS

Say a thanks to my Beta, Scaehime, for getting this up a day early!

To Fate: Sorry, didn't realize I was getting so long winded, I'll try to cut back on that.

* * *

"Merlin's shit-"

"I'm going to kill someone-"

"Can't go one bleeding year-"

"Got to be a way he doesn't do this-"

Maybe it was because of the way Harry was acting that hadn't left them so surprised, maybe it was because by this point they were just so sick but unsurprised at Harry being dragged into everything, but whatever it was, they skipped right to angered disbelief and began shouting at once of the injustice of this.

Harry only half-heard something going on around him. It just didn't seem real, and yet it explained what had been bothering him since Percy had brought this up over the summer. He did compete in this bloody Tournament, and something went wrong.

"-to hell he can't! Just put him back on the train. He can go stay at the Burrow for the year, problem solved!"

"Oh hey, the train," Lily said with a sideways look at her son. He was still running his hand through his hair in a vain attempt at flattening it, his eyes vacant and in no way showing he was following a word of what anyone was saying. When Lily just kept getting odd looks from the others, she got up to sit on the table in front of him, then leaned in close to Harry and tapped him on the shoulder, waiting until he fully looked at her before explaining. "I just thought of a way Hogwarts would have gone to the other schools: They'd have taken the train. It is magical after all, so as long as it was given a destination, the tracks and a station would appear with the train as needed."*

Harry gave his mother a weary smile. Clearly talk of this Tournament wasn't actually making him feel better, but it was still nicer to think of that train going to some other school without him where he wouldn't have even been involved, so he finally engaged her back by saying, "That's pretty cool, but where would the Hogwarts students sleep once they got there? Remus didn't exactly look comfortable when he did." He finished with an attempt at a smile towards him.

Remus returned it at once, the boys finally relaxing when they saw Harry was at least trying to act normal again.

Lily said right back, "Magic, love. Those compartments could easily be converted to mini bedrooms once they arrived. It would actually be easier than squeezing all of Beauxbatons into that carriage."

"About as comfortable and roomy as the Durmstrang boat," James finally agreed.

Sirius was still grumbling foully under his breath, glad that Harry was at least coming back around, but still unable to stop himself from pressing the point he'd been trying to make. "Here's me agreeing, yes that would work, but that's not the point now! Harry shouldn't have to be in this Tournament. Someone set him up, so he should be able to leave school until it's f'ing over!"

Remus sighed, giving him a pitying look as he reminded, "You know as well as I do why that wouldn't work. Magical contracts are binding. You can't just pay a fine when you don't do it. Harry's name would be as bound as the other champions. If he didn't compete, something really bad could happen to him. His magic could be in danger. Merlin, I don't really want to know specifics because no one's ever broken one and lived long enough to say it."

Sirius groaned, raking his hand through his hair so hard in frustration he was likely to pull out a few strands, and didn't care one bit.

They all looked absolutely miserable, just so tired of hearing about Harry's life like this. This Tournament was going to be dangerous. Harry was going to have to deal with even more terrible things than he'd already had to before, and that was saying something!

James' mind kept flickering around, his face purely sour as he tried to come up with something else to say, but what came out wasn't particularly helpful. "You know, I think I'm really starting to hate this holiday."

Harry gave him a surprised look, but before he could even ask he'd continued, "It's apparently the day we're going to die." He only paused for a moment to grimace in disgust at that sentence. "Your first year you got attacked by a troll-"

"But that's the day Hermione and I became friends," Harry reminded, "so I'm rather fond of that memory."

"No, I agree with your father." Lily huffed, ignoring the fact she'd always liked this holiday as her and James' anniversary for their first date. Now didn't seem the time to indulge this. "Because it also happens to be that same day Mrs. Norris was attacked, and that awful Chamber mess happened."

"Plus that was the day Sirius apparently lost his marbles," Remus added.

Sirius simply shrugged, having nothing to add to that but "agreed, this holiday sucks."

Harry really couldn't disagree that he didn't seem to have a very good track record for this particular day of the year. Still, looking around at all of them, he couldn't resist a smile either. For some reason the mention of Hermione had made his mind want to flicker to something else, like he should be angry, but not at her, maybe one of his friends though? What would Ron and Hermione do that could actually make this feeling worse? It was such a contrast to watching his family now, so outraged on his behalf they were all clearly stewing and trying to come up with some way to get him out of this.

Still though, Lily did marginally relax as she watched her son regain his normal composure. Sadly this only kicked up her anger at the situation another degree. She got to her feet and began pacing the length of the couch as she stormed. "I still want to know how the bloody hell this happened to him! How did his name even get put in? Someone had to have done this to him! And why!? What on earth could be the point of doing this to him!?"

"My money's on Moody," Sirius smirked.

Harry only had the smallest moment to glance in surprise at his Godfather, opening his mouth with that old look of something flickering in his eyes, when James snorted, giving him a sideways look as he told him, "You know, sometimes I think your jokes are actually your mind trying to warn the rest of us how crazy you are."

Sirius' grin widened. Of course he didn't mean it of the head Auror, even if he was retired now, but it was making him feel better to at least pretend this was a joking situation. "Well, look at it this way: every single DADA teacher Harry's had has had some interest in Harry. It's definitely in Moody's capability to pull off a stunt like this."

Lily just sighed before saying, "Can someone offer up a real solution before he starts accusing Ron next?"

"Oi!" Sirius pouted, but didn't argue the point, recognizing he wasn't making anyone else feel better by his picking.

At least Sirius' fun had turned off the harder question Lily asked, why would someone do this to Harry. It wasn't hard to think up the reason. Their boy seemed to have more enemies than friends it felt like, but it didn't really help them to start listing them. Top of their list was Voldemort, and by extension any Death Eater he had at his availability. True, they only knew of one at the time, but he was off somewhere else, scheming something else. That did leave the nasty suspicion they had that there were two current Death Eaters around Harry at school, but as much as they hated Snape, and had a very growing dislike for all the suspicions they already had about Karkaroff, it was mindblowing to think either of them could pull this off under Dumbledore's nose.

Their opinion of the Headmaster was at an all time low considering everything they suspected, and basically knew even if they weren't there to see it all, involving his hand in Sirius' jail time. Still, that was the outside world, this was his bleeding school! He should be able to have stopped this from happening!

They had no answers, and no one to ask.

Considering Lily had thrown the book to the ground and kicked it into the wall in her temper to take her shock and hatred of this situation out on something, James had to walk across the room to go and fetch the book. None of them had even marginally calmed down, but they did come to the same realization James had. This had already happened to Harry, he had lived through whatever they were fixing to find out, and that was the most important thing to them. Whatever came next, Harry had survived.

James tried his best to steady his breathing so that when he found his right spot, he didn't keep screaming bloody murder about this. It was best he didn't anyways, because even in their shouting, Remus was the only one who hadn't gotten up in his outrage, still too sore and curled up into the chair with a very fussy baby now. His infant son's agitated whining at this mess only accented how the rest of them were feeling, though, so it wasn't exactly as calm an environment as he was trying for as he began.

**Harry just sat there with every eye in the hall on him, convinced he'd heard wrong.**

"I feel like everyone in the hall wouldn't be looking at you if that were true," Remus grumbled low enough Harry couldn't hear.

**There was no applause.**

Sirius made a breathy noise, like he wanted to laugh at Harry's expense for that but he couldn't really get it out.

**Instead a buzzing, unpleasant, noise was growing. McGonagall reacted first, getting to her feet and sprinting to Dumbledore's side to whisper something in his ear.**

"I can only imagine what she's got to say about this," James sighed.

"Hopefully something along the lines of, I know the perfect solution of how to get him out of this," Lily huffed.

**Harry turned to face his two friends, telling them he hadn't done this.**

Harry sighed with pure misery. Somehow he just knew that was going to pop up a lot. It didn't make him feel any better that saying this to his two friends gave him an aching feeling, like one of them wouldn't even believe him. That couldn't possibly be true, right?

**Neither answered.**

**At the staff table, Dumbledore repeated Harry's name, telling him to come up there. Hermione had to give him a push to get him to move.**

"I'd need more than a push to get my behind up there," Remus shuddered.

**Harry got to his feet, feeling wooden all over as he stumbled between the wide eyes of the Gryffindors and the stone faces of the Hufflepuffs. It seemed to take forever as he came forward, feeling like a spotlight was on him the whole time.**

Lily sighed deeply, shifting in her place and having to stop herself going over to her son, snapping at anyone for staring too long. This wasn't his fault!

**The buzzing kept growing louder as every eye in the room wouldn't look away from him.**

**He finally approached Dumbledore, who continued by telling Harry to go through the door like the others had.**

"Honestly, this is one time I wanted him to get special treatment, put him somewhere else, like the train home," James ground out. He didn't care how bad of an idea it was logically, he wanted someone to do something other than just stare at his boy!

**He wasn't smiling.**

"Be a little more worried if he was," Sirius mumbled.

**Harry kept going, edging around until he passed Hagrid, who neither waved nor gave any of his usual greetings as he too stared at Harry the whole way.**

Harry was getting more despondent the longer this kept going, remembering all of those shocked faces and just wanting to scream that he hadn't done anything.

**His face looked as astonished as everyone's.**

"Anyone want to place bets on when this is going to wear off?" James moaned, just trying to say something that didn't depress him for just a second, though it clearly didn't work when everyone else ignored him.

**Finally Harry passed through the door to see the three champions in a small circular room, covered with portraits over a fire. Harry found them imposing in the firelight.**

Lily had her hair wrapped so tightly around one finger it was beginning to hurt, but she didn't release the strands, just kept pulling harder in agitation of picturing her Hare Bare having to go through all of this.

**Fleur** **was the first to notice him, asking if he was there to tell them to come back into the hall?**

"No, they wanted to make sure Hogwarts' mascot got shoved into this bloodbath as well," Sirius growled. All four of them looked at him like they were really going to do more than smack him this time, but when Sirius put his hands up in surrender meaning he regretted his own joke, no one acted on it, no matter how much they wanted to.

**She thought Harry was there to give a message, but Harry couldn't come up with a way to answer.**

"I still don't either honestly," Remus snapped.

**He simply stood there, watching them, as it occurred to him how much taller they were.**

Sirius plugged his nose to stop a snort of laughter, knowing he'd have loved to pick on both Harry and James for that any other time as they were usually on the shorter side even when they were the same age as those around them, but knew he couldn't have gotten away with it. Still, he regretted his missed opportunity the moment it passed, because no matter how stressed they all were for this, some humor really would have done them good for even a moment.

**The first person to enter behind them was Bagman, who came bouncing in and grabbed Harry's arm, dragging him farther into the room as he exclaimed how extraordinary this was.**

"NO!" Lily snapped at once. "I do not care for one second what the bloody hell you think is going on, but this is not extraordinary or anything else! My son-" she strangled herself off, her cheeks puffing up with indignation but clearly trying to hold off another shouting fit that this was Bagman's first reaction!

The others didn't look any better, Sirius in particular looked like he'd been smacked. What was Bagman playing at, trying to make this look like a good thing? Everyone should be trying to work on a way to get him out of this!

**Turning to the other champions and shouting about how they had a fourth champion!**

Lily couldn't seem to stop herself constantly uttering the word 'no' under her breath, and didn't seem likely to stop until something else happened.

Remus gave an exhausted sigh at that declaration, still trying to work out in his head how this had been done. That Goblet was one of the oldest of magical items. It would take something really powerful for it to have broken and spit out four champions. The question of who on earth could have pulled this off was still open ended, though, as they had no actual suspects.

**Krum and Cedric looked more surprised, though hardly reactive. Fleur, though, gave her hair a toss and began laughing, saying Bagman had made a good joke.**

"I wish," Sirius sighed, though even he'd admit this was never funny to begin with.

**Bagman was shocked, saying this was no laughing matter. Harry's name had just come out of the Goblet. Krum and Cedric's expression continued growing more confused,**

"I almost envy the reaction," James groused.

**while Fleur frowned telling him there must be some mistake.**

"Well, she's got that one right," they all agreed.

**Harry couldn't compete, he was too young.**

"Ironically, that was only a rule this time around," Lily sighed, "and still not my biggest problem."

"Really?" Harry asked in surprise, the first time he'd actually tried to speak to any of them since his name had come out, so though Lily didn't look happy she explained.

"I know you can handle a lot love, I've seen that proven time and again. No, what I, we," she quickly corrected since all of the boys housed the same face she did, "are so mad about is that you didn't volunteer for this. If you had, well, I can't say I'd be pleased, but, Merlin help it, I can't pretend you haven't dealt with this dangerous mess before. It would have been your decision at least. No, the fact that someone put your name in, forcing you to do this, that's why I'm going to be putting someone in their place," she finished with a dangerous flash to those green eyes.

Harry looked around in surprise, but when he saw nothing but agreement from the others, he felt a flash of warmth finally chase away that cold dread. No, he still wasn't happy about this situation he'd landed in one little bit, but the absolute fact that his parents were so infuriated on his behalf, not because they hadn't a shadow of a doubt he could handle this, but because he'd been forced into this, left him feeling almost giddy.

James couldn't stop himself from smiling just a bit as he kept going now. At least his son finally looked almost back to normal now.

**Bagman agreed this was amazing, but since the age restriction had only been put in place this year it should be overlooked. The Goblet had used his name, there was no ducking out.**

"Please stop saying that, though," Sirius pouted, not really exaggerating it much as he continued. "The point is, he shouldn't have to do this!"

"Where's Dumbledore?" Remus agreed with a heavy sigh. "Maybe he could, I don't know, if the Goblet was tricked once, can't it be convinced again to take his name back, or something?!"

"You let us know if you figure it out," James huffed.

**It was all down in the rules, he was obliged**

"If you put your name in," Lily stressed the word "you" for emphasis like she was speaking to a two year old. "Harry didn't, so he isn't obliged to do anything."

"I think it's moments like this where I hate magic," Harry agreed.

**to do so and just do his best!**

**He was cut off by the entrance of Dumbledore, Crouch, Karkaroff, Maxime, McGonagall, and Snape.**

"Why is Snape there?!" Sirius fired up at once, finally having something else to put his temper on. "Everyone else, I don't care, but, bloody hell, can he just not be there for one second!? He has no part of anything going on. Merlin, he'll probably start a cheer squad for this happening to my pup!"

"Malfoy'll be captain of that," James agreed just to finish the joke. He couldn't muster up an ounce of humor for it though.

**Harry could still hear the noise coming from the Great Hall before McGonagall shut the door, and Fleur darted to her headmistress at once, telling her that they were going on about this little boy competing with them!**

**Harry finally felt something other than numbness, anger. Little boy?**

"Oh, that's what got through to you, then?" Remus asked mildly.

"You want to insult a boy, you start calling him little," Lily agreed with an almost amused smile, which increased to actual laughter when indeed every boy in the room looked agitated at her.

**Maxime drew herself up to her full height,**

"I can believe how scary that is," James nodded absently.

**her head brushing the ceiling as she swelled at Dumbledore what the meaning of this was?**

**Karkaroff said that he'd like an answer for this as well, two Hogwarts champions? There was nothing about that in the rules, or had he not read them properly? Giving a cruel laugh at the end.**

"Guess people really will be calling Hogwarts biased now." Harry rolled his eyes, thinking back when this had just been a recurring joke, he'd never expected this as an end result.

**Maxime agreed there was nothing saying Hogwarts would have two champions, it was unjust!**

"Agreed," all five of them muttered.

**Karkaroff added on that the age had restricted them bringing more from their schools.**

"Yeah, I feel like you only would have brought one if you could get away with it." Sirius rolled his eyes.

**Snape said his due, saying it was Potter's own fault.**

Lily's hand twitched, her face so murderous in that moment the others had to fight down the urge to duck as she looked likely to draw her wand any moment and do something irreparable to Snape for saying that. She was as sick and tired of hearing about him as the others, seeming to regret every moment she'd ever stood up for him previously as she could no longer even think about him without wanting to scream in his face for starters.

James felt the exact same way, the murdering part as he'd never pretend to stand up for Snivellus if his life depended on it, but he kept going with only the faintest hope Dumbledore would kick his slimy butt out of there before he could keep going long.

**Saying it wasn't Dumbledore's fault Potter had decided to break the rules, he'd been doing that since he arrived here-**

**Dumbledore cut him off.**

James looked so furious by the time Dumbledore had cut in, Sirius and Remus decided Snape should be lucky James hadn't ever managed to find some way to take a limb off in school, because he'd clearly do it now.

**Then he turned to Harry and calmly asked if he'd put his name in the Goblet of Fire?**

"Least Dumbledore didn't lose his temper on this," Remus huffed.

"I've never seen Dumbledore lose his temper over anything," Sirius sighed. "It'd be really weird to even picture it."**

**Harry said no at once, while Snape made a soft noise of disbelief in the shadows.**

Lily made a murderous noise of disbelief in plain view for everyone to see.

**Dumbledore, ignoring Snape, then asked if he'd asked one of the older students to do it for him?**

"Would that work?" Harry asked in shock. That was an even simpler solution than the Aging Potion.

"I, well sort of, I can kind of picture it at least," Remus said with crossed eyes. "If the Goblet works so that it takes the essence of the person who put the paper in, well it would be absorbing the person, not the name on the slip. So if another person wrote Harry's name down, and the Goblet accepted that name to go with the person who put it in, well I couldn't see why this wouldn't work."

"You'd really have to work on an older student to convince them to give up their chance for you," Sirius agreed in tones showing how impossible that scenario would be.***

"What about a Polyjuice Potion then?" Harry asked. "You'd turn into someone physically old enough."

"If Dumbledore had the thought to set up against an Aging Potion, he'd most likely have done it against all Potions. If you had one in your system, I don't think you could get through," Lily explained.

"Problem is," James ruffled up his brow as he sorted through this, "what would be the point? No one would do that as a joke, because anyone who put their name in would want their own go at it."

"No one was suggesting this as a prank," Lily muttered with pure mutiny.

"Oh, he knows," Sirius sighed. "No one here's pretending a student is powerful enough to do this to the Goblet. Even Hermione couldn't get away with that. No, it would have to be someone at Dumbledore's level of magical power, and how someone managed to do that without Dumbledore realizing is still what's getting to me."

Harry sighed. Clearly they were as lost as he on that front, so he kept at the other thing instead, at least that didn't explicitly have to do with him. "But now I'm really thinking about this, couldn't a whole school do that as a form of cheating? What if every single Durmstrang student just put down Krum's name, that way the Goblet would have no choice but to shoot out that name?" His frown increased as he jumped to "what if it wasn't the Goblet that was magicked, but every person at Hogwarts who just thought they were putting their own name, but really put mine? Though," he quickly amended when he could sense how wrong that was even without letting the others deny this, "I guess that would be just as hard to pull off around Dumbledore."

"And wouldn't explain how Cedric got in, and a fourth name came out," James agreed gently. Still, they were all happy to at least have seen him try. It was good to see him trying to throw those kinds of things out there, as it meant he wasn't solely trying to rely on his mind for answers anymore, which only ever led to hurting him.

**Again Harry said no, and Maxime said he was lying at once, while a shake of Snape's head showed he agreed with her.**

"I am going to rip his head off," Sirius said sincerely.

**McGonagall stepped in, saying Harry couldn't have crossed the age line, while Maxime pointed out Dumbledore must have made a mistake.**

"Now she's just being ridiculous." Remus rolled his eyes. "We've seen an abundance of evidence it's stopped a number of students, so why on earth could Harry get around that?"

"Can someone please stop blaming Harry and instead get to how he doesn't have to do this?" James agreed.

**Dumbledore agreed this could be a factor, while McGonagall told them all they were being ridiculous. Harry couldn't have crossed that line, and if Dumbledore says he believes him that should be good enough for everyone!**

"Thank you, McGonagall!" Lily nodded sharply, happy at least someone was around to keep these idiots in their place.

**She shot a very angry look at Snape.**

"Well deserved, that," Sirius nodded along.

**Karkaroff turned to Bagman and Crouch then, saying they were supposed to be the objective judges, and they had to admit this was irregular.**

"Oh, no one's arguing this is irregular," Sirius rolled his eyes.

**Bagman still had a smile on his face, while Crouch had been standing silently in the shadows this whole time.**

"Actually more surprised he hasn't spoken up by now," Lily said briskly. "Put his bleeding opinion out in the open of all of this."

**He looked ghastly in the dying light, but he spoke in his usual curt tone as he said the rules must be followed. The Goblet of Fire had chosen him, so he was now bound for the Tournament.**

"No!" Lily snapped again, sick of this being everyone's go-to answer. She was seconds away from getting to her feet and stomping her way to Crouch's house and telling him off next. "You find a bleeding loophole and get him out of this!"

"If there's a way around getting an underage student into the Goblet, there should be a way to get him out of it," James agreed in seething tones.

"It was a rule an underage student shouldn't be in," Remus agreed with an ugly look in place, "but then again, isn't Crouch the one who decides what rules should and shouldn't be followed?"

Harry looked at him in surprise at this. Clearly something had just gone over his head, but even though James agreed he didn't notice Harry and instead kept going.

**Bagman seemed to decide that made the matter closed while giving a charming smile to everyone.**

"I do not like him anymore," Sirius growled, any shine gone to be replaced by a murderous growl in his voice. Quidditch player be damned, no one should be in a good mood while this was happening to Harry.

**Karkaroff insisted this wasn't right. He wanted all the names of the students resubmitted until all the schools were even!**

Lily opened, then closed her mouth, shutting her eyes for a moment before opening them and saying "actually, that seems fair."

"Wish I could say otherwise," James sighed, "but the man's got a point."

"That doesn't solve our problem," Remus sighed, keeping the baby in his lap as close to his chest as he could like he feared someone was going to wrench him away any second and throw him into this Tournament. "Harry's still stuck in the bleeding middle of this, but it might take some of the heat off of him if they do pull that off."

No one looked remotely happy, but if this was the solution that everyone ended up coming to, it would have the benefit of Harry not being the sole attention anymore at least somewhat.

**Bagman reminded the Goblet had gone out, and it would not reignite until the start of the next Tournament.**

"So tell it to do otherwise!" Sirius snapped in outrage. "It's a magical object, use some f'ing magic on it and get it to do what it's told!"

**Karkaroff exploded at them all, saying Durmstrang would take no part of this! He was tempted to just leave now!**

"You know it's sad when I can't even say he's not wrong," Lily moaned into her hands, pressing her face so tight into them in frustration she was leaving nail marks on her forehead. "I'd be just as bleeding pissed if this was happening from another school."

**A new voice told Karkaroff how stupid that was, leaving his champion. They've all got to compete, which was convenient.**

"Now why couldn't this one have been here this whole time instead of Snape?" James huffed, thankful someone else had stepped in, hoping against hope whoever would find a way out of this for his son.

**Moody had come in, while Karkaroff turned nasty eyes on him and told him no one understood why this was convenient.**

"Pretty sure he's saying what none of us want to hear," Lily mumbled, still not removing her face, her curtain of red hair hiding most of the act, and she didn't look likely to move until her Hare Bare was pulled out of this.

**Moody told that it was obvious, someone put Potter's name in so he would have to compete. Maxime exclaimed it was so Hogwarts could have two bites at the apple, and Karkaroff agreed with her:he'd be lodging complaints against everything he could.**

"And a number of other things, which do absolutely no good," Sirius rolled his eyes in pure contempt. "If I could have a go at the Goblet, I'd be doing it now as well."

**Moody reminded if anyone should be complaining, it was Potter, but he'd stayed quiet.**

"He's actually got a point there," Remus raised a brow at him. "You haven't spoken a word."

"I kept hoping someone would find a way to get me out of this." Harry shrugged, choosing not to add on he hardly ever liked speaking when adults were around discussing him, probably one too many years of the Dursleys had put that into him. They always somehow managed to make it clear if Harry's name was in the conversation he should keep his mouth shut, not that they ever included him in any other discussion either. "Besides," he finished out loud to get rid of his trailing thoughts, "couldn't think up anything to say. I hadn't done anything."

**Fleur** **bit back he was the last person who would complain, he was getting the chance many would die for!**

"Oh, please don't say that," Lily sighed, finally raising her head to give a stank eye at the book. This French girl continued to agitate her the longer she spoke.

**Moody agreed maybe Harry's death was the end game here.**

"That's why I didn't want her to say that," she snarled when James got that out looking more than a little sick after doing so.

Sadly, they'd already realized this, but with any luck maybe Moody would suggest someone who could have done this to Harry they hadn't thought of.

**Silence rung in the room. Bagman lost some of his good mood**

"Finally an expression that doesn't read, 'oh this is brilliant!'" Sirius snorted.

**while he bounced on his heels in unease as he told Moody off for saying that.**

"Oh, how I wish he was wrong," Lily hissed.

**Karkaroff reminded Moody hadn't made his day until he found six attempts on his life.**

"And how do you spend your mornings?" James snarled. Moody and McGonagall were the only ones sticking up for his son so far. He wasn't going to let someone have a go at them without returning. "In fact, maybe you should start that practice!"

**He was clearly imagining things. Moody glowered at him, reminding that it took someone with more skill than a fourteen year old to do this to the Goblet.**

**Maxime demanded what evidence he had of that?**

"Logic," Remus raised a brow.

"Common sense," Sirius agreed with a sigh.

"Something any adept person would know," James sniffed.

**Moody reminded how it must have taken a powerful wizard to Confound the Goblet into thinking there were four Champions, and put Harry's name down as the only entrance from an extra school.**

**Karkaroff told Moody he'd thought this through quite well,**

Harry felt something just as cold trickling towards his stomach, for the first time wondering on Karkaroff, at what he'd said...and for an inexplicable reason going back to Sirius' earlier joke of who'd done this to him...

**and while it was smart, last he'd heard Moody had taken a birthday gift and broken it in fear it was poisoned, so he should forgive them all for not taking him seriously.**

"I'd be worried if you did treat him like me," Sirius agreed with an ingenious smirk in his opinion, and when Harry snapped out of whatever that face was and laughed, it was worth it.

**Moody reminded it was his job to think like Dark wizards, Karkaroff should remember that.**

"Well, there's our proof, as if we needed any more," James sighed. "Karkaroff was, or is, I guess, depending on what time we're talking about, a Death Eater."

"Never heard of him before, though," Remus gave an absent shrug, "so either he's not very high in the ranks, or hasn't joined yet."

"Or we've gotten a spot more dodgy information," Sirius scowled, for the first time really thinking past that rat's betrayal and jumping on the fact that it wasn't just James and Lily he'd got killed. How many more people would that rat get murdered for Voldemort, how soon until he started telling Death Eaters their plans instead of them figuring out theirs?

The others were confident they knew where Sirius' mind had gone, but they were already in a foul enough mood without something else like this being brought up just now, so no one asked him for details.

**Dumbledore gave a warning to Alastor, and it took a moment for Harry to realize who he was speaking to.**

That managed to snap James onto something far more pleasant at least, as he began giggling at once, managing to get out, "It took you how many months-" before he broke off into a bit more chuckling.

Harry rolled his eyes good-naturedly, but none of them had seen that eye in person. If they had, they wouldn't have questioned him using that as a name either.

**Then again, Mad-Eye could hardly be his real first name.**

"Oh, but it would have been so much more interesting if it was," Lily agreed mildly.

**Moody stopped speaking, though he still kept a distasteful eye on Karkaroff's hateful one.**

**Dumbledore continued speaking, saying that however this happened, it didn't appear they had another choice but to accept it.**

"NO!" Lily snarled in outrage, this time joined in by everyone else as Harry watched. It was his mother, though, who kept going in a full-blown, no-longer-able-to-bottle-it-up tangent as she really did get to her feet, pacing the length of the room in a towering outrage. "I am so bleeding sick of seeing him just say, okay, Harry's going off to do this insane thing, let's see what happens!"

Remus opened, then closed his mouth as he couldn't come up with an argument for that. The only time he may have tried for some defense was in Harry's second year when Dumbledore hadn't even been around there at the end, but even still with that odd advice he'd given indicating he'd known Harry was around, he hadn't offered words of caution trying to deter Harry. He'd instead said the very thing Harry had repeated in calling Dumbledore's bird to him. Coincidence? Maybe, but as this was the fourth time it felt like Dumbledore was in no way hindering any of this happening to Harry, he couldn't really believe it as much anymore.

James and Sirius exchanged a look that spoke volumes, but honestly felt the exact same way as the other two. Dumbledore had abandoned Sirius when he needed him most, and they'd never forgive him for that. They even suspected he had a hand in convincing Remus Sirius had done all of those terrible things. He was the only one who could have done such a thing to make Remus think the worst of Sirius.

Harry felt something crumbling inside him, though he realized it was already cracked beyond repair anyways. This was just more coming out. He knew in his younger years he'd believed Dumbledore could do anything, but now because of last year, and now this, he knew that illusion would never come back.

Still, James kept going, which did not make one beat of Lily's pacing skip. She kept stalking back and forth, wearing out the carpet like that would somehow help.

**Both Cedric and Harry would have to do this.  
**

**Maxime tried to cut in, but Dumbledore said if anyone had an alternative, he'd love to hear it.**

"That's true," James grumbled. "Everyone else has been doing nothing but complaining, but I haven't seen one bleeding person actually trying to offer up a solution."

**Silence. Everyone was now glaring at Dumbledore, except Bagman, who gathered his excited nature back.**

Sirius started grinding his teeth to fight back the urge to snarl a few more death threats at someone he never believed he'd direct them at.

**He decided it was time to move forward, asking Barty if he'd like the honor of telling the champions what they would be up to first. Crouch seemed to come back to life at being spoken to.**

"What's got him so distracted?" Lily raised a brow in surprise, finally stalking to her seat, though it wasn't making the situation any better. "What on earth could be going on that's demanding more of his attention than this?"

Harry sighed, that old feeling returning, making him sure that he knew an answer at some point, and he wasn't too eager to learn this one.

**The longer Harry watched him, he noticed that his skin looked unhealthy and far more wrinkled than it had at the Cup.**

"I would feel bad for him," Remus sniffed, "if he deserved it. It's his own fault for firing his help and acting like a prick to everyone he doesn't deem worthy."

**His voice was as crisp as ever as he told the four of them, the first task was to test their daring,**

All five of them gave a few terrible mutterings, still wishing more than anything Harry's name wasn't in that, that they could be hearing about this like Harry should be through the rest of the school amongst rumors and in the stands. Now they were going to have to hear what the Triwizard decided daring was, and Harry would be in the middle.

**as it was important for a wizard to face courage in the unknown.**

"Well, Ron was right," Harry huffed without a trace of humor. "I've lived that part."

None of them looked remotely pleased about it.

**He gave the date of when this would be happening, and that it would take place in front of the panel of judges. The champions were not to ask for help from anyone regarding anything during the Tournament.**

"Right, I can see that happening." Remus rolled his eyes.

**They would go into this first task with only their wands,**

"As opposed to the other challenges? Are they going to take their wands away?" Sirius rolled his eyes, though he shuddered at the thought, not even wanting to imagine that kind of horror.

**and they would receive further instructs on the second task after the first. Also, all champions were exempt from the end-of-year finals.**

"Finally, the bright side," James sighed, sounding like that was still the worst news in the world. He'd give anything for Harry to be taking those stupid exams rather than this!

"Well, how does that work though?" Harry asked. "Everyone else would be in seventh year. They'd have to take their N. E. W. T. s, right?"

"I feel like winning the Triwizard Tournament is your job application." Sirius rolled his eyes, and Harry realized he wasn't really kidding. With the amount of fame and prize money this came with, it really wouldn't be difficult to find a job with those standards behind you, and you had plenty of time to look.

**He turned to Dumbledore to indicate he was finished, and Dumbledore kept watching him with concern.**

"Guess he really does look bad." Lily rolled her eyes, unable to find it in herself to actually feel anything for it. It felt like compensation for some of the more ruthless laws he'd been passing of late finally catching up to him.

**He asked if Barty would like to stay the night at Hogwarts, but Crouch declined, saying he was too busy. He'd left Weatherby in charge,**

Sirius finally managed a real smile this chapter, sad that he couldn't do more at that joke.

**and while he was enthusiastic, he may be a little overtly so in this case.**

"Didn't know there was such a thing," Lily said, still more grimly than with any amount of humor, but at least they were trying again.

"If there was, Percy would hit it." Remus attempted a smirk.

**Dumbledore asked if he'd at least like to have a drink, and Bagman jumped in saying Barty was being ridiculous! Everything was happening at Hogwarts. What could be more exciting than that? Crouch gained some of his impatience back as he told Ludo he would not indulge this.**

"Good to know he's not too sick." James rolled his eyes.

**Dumbledore offered to have a drink with the other two heads of the schools, but Maxime and Fleur stalked out,**

"Can't even blame them," Harry sighed.

**into the now silent Great Hall, speaking in French.**

"Don't need a translation for that," Remus grumbled.

**Karkaroff summoned Krum to him, and they left as well, though in silence.**

"Krum didn't say a word during that," Sirius realized in surprise, somehow actually thankful at least one of his Quidditch fascinations this year hadn't managed to tick him off yet.

"You'd think he'd be just as outraged as Fleur," James nodded in agreement.

"He was making a lot of the same faces as Cedric," Harry shrugged, "switching between surprise and confusion. Maybe some contempt in there."

**Dumbledore turned to Cedric and Harry, telling them to get off to bed, now smiling at the two.**

"I still want to strangle him with his own beard," Lily snarled. "Smiling at a time like this, can't someone at least pretend to be upset!"

"I think we're doing that enough for all of them, love," James sighed.

**Reminding that their respective houses would want to be celebrating this.**

**The two left, and only when they made it to the Entrance Hall did Cedric point out that they'd be playing against each other again.**

"I'd listen to a hundred Quidditch matches over this," Lily groused.

**Harry agreed, his mind not on the conversation, though. Cedric did catch his attention as he asked how Harry had pulled it off.**

"If Harry didn't tell them, what the bloody hell makes him think he'd admit it to him?" Sirius snapped.

"He's not any more special than those arse wipes," James agreed.

Harry gave a mild frown at them both, finally understanding why he would have felt so agitated at Cedric this year, as he was sure once the shock wore off, he'd look at Cedric as a rival again. It still didn't explain that other feeling, this want to defend him and not hear a bad word against him. Considering the last time he'd felt this was towards Dobby, and he'd made a few attempts at making Harry's life hell, he didn't feel like sharing that this time.

**Harry insisted he hadn't, and Cedric clearly didn't believe him for a second.**

Any feelings he would have anyways slipped away at once as his lip sneered in protest along with the others, outraged at once no one believed Harry about this!

**He walked off towards the Hufflepuff common room then, and Harry was left to climb the stairs in silence. Was anyone going to believe him except Ron and Hermione?**

Harry's breath released in a sudden rasp, looking like someone had just kicked him when he was down. They all thought it was just lingering agitation at what Harry was thinking, though. Even Harry himself had no idea why he'd felt anything for that.

**Harry found the idea ridiculous. Why would he want to go up against those who had three years of magical learning over him? Sure he'd fantasized about entering,**

"So did every other person at that school," Remus snapped, "and if they say otherwise, they're bleeding liars."

**but he hadn't really meant it, he was never serious about entering.**

"I'd be a little more concerned if you did think I'd enter," Sirius said at once, none of his usual humor in his favorite joke, but meeting Harry's eyes anyways with a spark of amusement nonetheless.

Harry managed a sour-filled smile for him, but not because the joke had quite worn off yet. He was just a little too distracted still to really give the laugh.

**Someone had done it to him, though, and he got the feeling it wasn't meant as a treat.**

"If someone really thinks that, they need a dictionary," Lily scowled.

**To watch him make a fool of himself? They'd get their wish.**

"Now, I don't think that's really all fair," Sirius sighed, still trying his hardest to get a smile going. "Give yourself some credit."

"No," Harry said back, deadpan.

**To get him killed? Was Moody just being his paranoid self,**

"So far, I think he's actually been the perfect amount of paranoid," James said with a shrug.

**did someone really want him dead?**

"I hate that I know the answer to that," Remus scowled.

**Well, yes, Voldemort certainly did, but he wasn't anywhere near Harry. He was in hiding, feeble and powerless.**

"Well, that's not entirely true," Lily murmured, shrinking just a little closer to Remus and her son.

**Yet when Harry had dreamed about him, Voldemort hadn't been alone, he'd been with Wormtail, plotting Harry's murder.**

"Thank you, because I hadn't remembered that recently," Sirius scoffed, his too-dark eyes still trying to keep Harry's, to show he didn't really blame his pup for thinking about this.

**Harry was shocked to find himself in front of his portrait hole, and that the Fat Lady wasn't alone. Harry recognized the wizened old witch next to her as one of the ones from the portraits in the room downstairs.**

"The portraits are the biggest gossips in that school," James muttered randomly, his mind happily latching onto anything old and familiar.

**She must have run all the way up here to beat Harry. The Fat Lady looked down at Harry, asking if it was true he really was a champion? Harry replied Balderdash, and the other painting shouted it wasn't a lie!**

"Timing," Remus rolled his eyes, missing the time where he would have laughed at the fortune of this password happening in relation to this.

**The Gryffindor guardian eased her friend this was merely the entrance word before opening. The noise she opened up to was deafening, as seemingly every member of his house reached forward and pulled Harry in to congratulate him, the twins getting there first as they told Harry he should have said something about entering, looking half annoyed and half impressed.**

Sirius groaned into his hands, wanting to laugh along with the twins like he always had, but wanting to smack them a good one for not giving Harry a chance to explain himself because he hadn't done this.

**Everyone else was the same. They'd procured food, and kept trying to force it on Harry, despite Harry trying to say he wasn't hungry, and in no mood to be celebrating.**

"Never thought a celebration would depress me so much," Remus grumbled.

**Lee Jordan had found a Gryffindor banner somewhere and had decided to tie it around Harry's shoulders, all of them asking how he'd gotten over that Age Line.**

"And not one bleeding one of them got the picture that you hadn't," Lily seethed, wishing Harry would shout it in someone's face already. He was so clearly upset and frustrated by this.

**He kept saying over and over that he hadn't done it, but for all the notice he got he may as well not have answered.**

James was opening and closing his mouth, clearly having reached the level of too outraged to speak on his son's behalf anymore, so forced himself to keep going in hopes Harry would just leave.

**He began shouting at George that he was serious,**

"No, I am," Sirius muttered under his breath, more out of obligation than anything at this point.

**he just wanted to go to bed! He nearly knocked some of the younger kids over as he finally bolted up the stairs.**

"About bleeding time," Sirius huffed. "Where were Ron and Hermione in that mess? They should have been there to at least try and keep that horde off of you!"

**He went into his dormitory to find Ron laid out on his bed, and as Harry entered, Ron said hello.**

"That's his response?" Remus rolled his eyes. "Hello?! I would have thought he and Hermione had rehearsed another conversation to try and calm him down!"

**He was grinning, but it was a very odd, strained sort of grin.**

"What?!" Lily balked, sure she'd heard him wrong.

James didn't answer though, didn't even glance up as he kept staring down at the pages, getting a very bad feeling about this...

**Harry realized he still had that banner on, and struggled for a few minutes to remove it with Ron simply watching.**

"Awkward silence," Sirius muttered into the room, which had somehow joined the same atmosphere.

**When Harry kicked it back out of the room, Ron told him congratulations.**

"Please tell me he was being sarcastic," Remus demanded, a furious glint lighting his eyes. "I am begging you to tell me, James, that there was some sarcasm in there."

James did not respond, his face going slack and pale the more words he kept pressing out.

**Harry demanded what Ron meant, watching that grin become more of a grimace. Ron explained he was congratulating him getting over that Age Line, and asked how he'd done it? The Invisibility Cloak?**

"Why would he, what-" Lily tried to stammer out, her face growing steadily more red the more she couldn't snap out a question.

**Harry reminded him the cloak wouldn't work. Ron accepted that, adding on that he would have expected Harry to tell him if that were it, because both of them could have fit under the cloak, but Harry must have found some way to do it!**

"He would have told you if he had!" Sirius howled in outrage, the shock finally wearing off, and he began trembling with rage. "How can Ron, of all people, think you'd done this! He's not heard a word from you, and he's really saying you did this!"

Harry's mouth was left hanging open, the expression of mingled fury and disbelief still not quite covering the hurt that was quickly rising. Something had been trying to warn him of this, but even with it resurfacing clear as day, Harry didn't want to believe it. He'd always known Ron had some jealousy issues, but this?! He now couldn't decide what hurt worse, someone putting his name in the tournament, or his best friend treating him like this because of it.

**Harry said, again, he hadn't done this, someone had done it to him. Ron just raised his brows at him, asking why would someone do that? Harry felt like it would be too melodramatic to say 'to kill me.'**

"Sadly, I can believe it's accurate," Lily hissed.

**Ron's look did not change as he told Harry he could tell him the truth, it's not like he was going to get in trouble so there was no need to lie.**

"I wouldn't tell him the truth now if he begged me," Remus sneered with as much fuel as he could. "Not the way he's acting."

**Dumbledore was letting him play, Violet the portrait had told them all.**

"Letting him," James repeated crossly, his voice still coming out too quietly, though. He hadn't quite seemed to get past his own disbelief at the situation yet and was still floored on that.

**Harry now shouted back he hadn't put his name in!**

"Oh, I'm long since past angry," Sirius growled, entirely sick of this whole bleeding school treating Harry like this, now someone who'd supposedly been a friend had joined in.

**Ron believed that as much as Cedric, and everyone else, reminding how Harry had said last night he'd find a way to put his name in when no one was watching.**

"And you once thought you could turn a rat yellow with a spell a three year old knew wasn't real. You don't see him holding that against you!" Lily half shouted, a muscle going off in her jaw she didn't seem aware of.

**Reminding he wasn't stupid.**

"Could have fooled me," Remus snarled.

**Harry told him he was doing a really good job of proving otherwise. Ron wasn't even pretending anymore, telling Harry he should get to bed for his big photo shoot tomorrow!**

Remus made a noise of pure outrage. He hadn't believed he could be more disgusted with the situation Harry was in, and here was Ron of all people proving him otherwise! The baby in his arms began fussing, and Remus was having a very hard time settling him back down when he couldn't even pretend at that emotion himself anymore.

**He pulled the hangings of his bed shut around him, and Harry was left staring at a shadow of one of the few people he'd been sure would believe him.**

James slammed the book shut with a sharp snap.

* * *

*A lot of you suggested the train as an option, so I'm not going to single any one person out because I loved them all so much, but thanks again for the offer. The more I thought about it, the more I realized what a cool idea it was! Sorry if I came across as a jerk to anyone for my initial turn down of it to anyone.

**Come on, you know I had to make a joke about that.

***This and one other are thrown around all the time to kingdom come about a plot hole in the series, and I'm sure you all know what the other is and I'm already working on a far better explanation for it, but for this one in particular...yeah I couldn't really come up with anything. Magic can be outwitted as has been shown, but in this particular instance I think Sirius said it best, just because it could have happened, doesn't mean anyone could have been talked into getting away with it. All that prize money and glory couldn't have been talked onto my slip of paper.


	19. THE WEIGHING OF THE WANDS

"Dad?" Harry whispered when he just kept sitting there, glaring down at the pages, and Harry finally realized he had been the only one not to say anything.

"Oh I am beyond pissed," he said at once with broiling tones. "I'm going to knock him a good one if I ever get the pleasure of meeting him-" his face twitched though, some old regret finally tampering down the tone, "but I'd be a right hypocrite if I sat here and gave somebody else the piss about doing this."

"Oh come on Prongs," Sirius whined, turning a still fiery look on him which drowned out his attempt at a joke. "That was years ago, we've gotten over it. I've admitted I deserved it."

"Still," James groused, shoving the book towards him without looking at anyone. "I made that mistake once before, judging someone just because they made a stupid bleeding decision. If Harry and Ron never make up for Ron acting like a royal prat, than so be it, but I'm certainly not going to say anything against him because he's said and done something stupid in regards to one of his friends."

"I, I really don't believe you," Remus gasped as he stared right at him, sure at any moment James was going to crack and start yelling and screaming along with the rest of them. "What Sirius did is much worse than this-"

"-Gee thanks Moony-" Sirius muttered under his breath.

James cut across both of them as he nodded, "that's true, and my point. What Ron's doing is wrong, and stupid, but I'm going to sit over here and hope he gets over it and apologizes more than curse him out about it." He clearly was not pleased at his own decision, but he still sat back with his arms crossed and a set look saying he was going to do his damndest to uphold that as long as he could.

Sirius looked from the book to his best mate like he wasn't sure who was giving him a turn more, but finally he decided to leave Prongs be for now.

**When Harry woke up on Sunday morning, it took him a moment to remember why he felt so miserable and worried.**

Sirius hadn't ever been this mad at Ron before. He'd been angry at Hermione plenty of times, but at least he could wrap his mind around her. This was, petty, and so stupid! Anybody who knew Harry for a few minutes ought to realize he wouldn't have really done something like this, Ron had been his friend for over three years by now and hadn't stuck by his mate! He quickly pushed past the rather confusing feeling that he was technically this steamed over someone he'd never actually met.

**Then he remembered his fight with Ron, and sat up with the full intentions of forcing Ron to believe him,**

"You shouldn't have to," Remus snarled under his breath.

**only to find that Ron's bed was empty.**

Lily groaned, wondering how long this was going to last, holding out for hope that the two boys would make up.

**Harry dressed and went down as well, but the moment he appeared in front of others they started applauding him again.**

James had to really fight down the impulse to make a crude gesture at people who weren't here. Couldn't they take a hint?

**The idea of facing the rest of the castle was not appealing, but it was a choice between that or staying up here with his own adoring house, so he made for the portrait and had barely climbed out when he ran into Hermione.**

It really was sad that Harry had to watch them all tense in unease, clearly fearing yet another row. Surely at least Hermione would believe him!

**She greeted him with a friendly enough tone, holding up a stack of toast for him and offering to go for a walk.**

"That's encouraging," Sirius grumbled, his eyes narrowing in thought as he tried to guess if Hermione would have started yelling at him at once like Ron would have, or would try to drag him somewhere private to shout at him for doing this.

**Harry agreed, and the two wound up strolling around the lake as Harry explained himself. Hermione took it all in without question.**

"Oh thank Merlin," Lily sighed, slumping back into the couch in relief.

**Hermione agreed she'd known at once Harry hadn't done it, she'd seen the look on his face last night.**

James sighed, wishing he didn't have a first hand account on that face, that it hadn't reappeared on his son now and this was all just a really bad joke.

**She did go on to say that Moody had a point, a student couldn't have done this- but Harry interrupted to ask if she'd seen Ron?**

"Unbelievably, I'd have rather just let Hermione keep going," Sirius snapped.

**Hermione hesitated before admitting she had. Harry demanded if he really thought he'd entered himself? Hermione tried to say that wasn't entirely it, not really.**

"What does she mean, not really?" Remus scowled. "Either he does and needs to pull his head out of his arse, or doesn't in which case I'd like to think he'd have come to apologize to you the moment reality came back to him."

Harry didn't answer, he had no more idea than them.

**Harry demanded to know what that meant, and Hermione said it was obvious.**

"No," all five of them grumbled.

**He was jealous.**

"Jealous of what?" Harry demanded, his outrage still somehow managing to grow.

**Harry demanded to know of what, and Hermione tried to explain that it was always Harry getting the attention,**

"It's not my fault," Harry howled in outrage to no one in particular, he knew they all knew it, he just couldn't help it!

**she agreed it wasn't his fault when Harry looked to interrupt her,**

"Guess I don't need to ask what he was going to say," Sirius muttered.

**but with all of his brothers at home, and his best friend being so famous, well he was always overlooked and this was just one time too many.**

"I can't garner much pity for him for," Lily scathed, "if he wants to take your place and put his name on the chopping block, he could have at it."

**Harry bitterly agreed that was great news for him, he'd swap any time! Hermione could go tell him if he wanted people following him around, gawping at his forehead- but Hermione cut him off saying she wasn't telling Ron anything.**

"Can't blame her there," James sighed, "I wouldn't want to be the messenger bird for this either."

**Harry should tell him, it was the only way for them to get over this. Harry shouted back he wasn't going to follow Ron around trying to force him to grow up!**

"And no one blames you," Remus agreed in clipped tones.

**Maybe Ron would believe him once he'd broken his neck!**

"Oh don't," Lily forced back yet more anger at her son, he was speaking in a temper, but still she had to fight the impulse to smack him for making jokes about this.

Harry muttered a sorry for her, though he hardly looked repentant enough it was clear he may have kept going to Hermione at least.

**Hermione told him off for that, saying this wasn't funny! Reminding him he had to do something the moment he got back to the castle.**

"Convince Dumbledore to let you drop out of school," Remus rolled his eyes.

"Go ask Moody to teach you every flipping curse he knows and then some," Lily huffed.

"Shove Ron's head through a wall," Sirius sniffed.

"Learn to live under your Invisibility Cloak for the time being," James sighed, crossing his arms in agitation.

Harry couldn't help but give just the tiniest smile at all of them, they'd all spoken at almost the exact same time, and considering what he'd been fixing to say what had flitted across his mind, he kept his mouth shut to let Sirius read.

**Harry agreed he'd give Ron a good kick up the-**

"Do not blame you," Sirius spat, though it was conjoined with quite a bit of mirth that time as he gave them all smug smirks Harry had said the same thing as him.

 **Hermione** **interrupted to say he should write to Sirius.**

"Oh," they all muttered. Well at least Hermione's suggestion was doable. They could only imagine his reaction though, and James and Remus couldn't help but exchange a half terrified look as all of what he'd say to this came to their mind. Sirius had come back to the country just because Harry's scar had hurt, what would he do when he heard about this?

**Harry needed to write to him first, tell him what was going on. He'd been sending them warnings he was afraid something bad was going to happen, almost like he expected this.**

"I highly doubt I saw this coming," Sirius grumbled, his eyes still narrowed as he tried to understand his own future mind. He clearly was being mindful of something, if his cryptic little comment was anything to go by then maybe he had been expecting some trouble and that's why he'd wanted to stay close to Harry, but no one would have seen this coming.

**Harry told her she was being insane. He'd come back to the country because Harry's scar had hurt, he'd probably come storming right into the castle when he heard about this!**

"I believe that," Lily said sincerely, now watching him out of the corner of her eye.

"I wouldn't do it as myself at least," he rolled his eyes at all of them staring at him. "I'd change into my dog and become his new shadow instead."

"That didn't make me feel much better," Harry muttered, as they all noticed he didn't deny it.

**Hermione insisted Sirius should hear this from him, he'd find out anyways.**

"Why would he," Harry demanded uneasily, feeling bad at Sirius' flinch. He felt bad for trying to hide something like this from his Godfather, but he still had a point it would be better for his sanity if he didn't know.

"Harry, this will be a very publicized event," James sighed. "I wouldn't be surprised if it was already front headline news, and even if Sirius isn't bothering to look at any of that, it'll be the talk of wherever he is. He will find out about this, so Hermione's right, better it come from you."

Harry groaned, but nodded his head in agreement, hoping Hermione got that through to him.

**Harry asked how, and Hermione pointed out this wasn't going to be kept quiet, in a very serious tone.**

"I expect she'd do a rather poor impersonation of me," Sirius said sagely, giving Harry a moment to start laughing at least.

**This would be front headline news! Harry finally agreed he'd do it.**

Sirius fully relaxed for the first time since he'd heard this happening to Harry. He knew it would have bothered him greatly if Harry never had written to him about this, and though it hurt that it took Hermione convincing him to do so, he hoped that it would be of some comfort to Harry that he really did have someone besides Hermione who believed him and was just trying to watch out for him.

**He finished the last of his toast and threw the crust into the lake, where a tentacle could be seen coming up to snatch it away.**

"Always more fascinating than feeding ducks," Remus sighed.

**They went back to the castle, up to the Owlery, where Harry asked what owl he was supposed to use as he couldn't let Hedwig. Hermione suggested Ron's-**

"I can't picture him asking Ron for a bottle of ink, let alone his ruddy owl," Lily sniffed.

**but Harry refused the idea at once, so Hermione just reminded he could use a school owl. Harry sat down and tried to write his letter.**

"This out to be interesting," James got out after a heavy sigh, for once that jealousy wasn't returning that Harry had to turn to Sirius instead of him about this. At least Harry had someone to talk to.

**Harry started by saying he'd been asked to tell what was going on at Hogwart's, well here it is.**

"Well that's one way to start," Lily told him with an almost straight face, fascinated her son was pretending to start this letter off in a casual manner.

**He went on to explain about the Triwizard Tournament, and how he'd been made the fourth champion. Adding on that the other Hogwarts champion was a Hufflepuff named Cedric Diggory.**

"I think at some point you can keep this letter to pertinent information only," Remus rolled his eyes.

**He hesitated there, unclear how to put into words this ball of anxiety that seemed to be living in him.**

Harry began rubbing absently at his chest, his face going vacant as he clearly all too well remembered that. Sirius scooted just that little bit closer to him, and said, "don't worry pup, we know everything works out fine."

It seemed to take a moment for that to sink in, before Harry shook himself and smiled at him, saying, "yeah, I know." He looked for a moment like he wanted to add something more, but when he didn't Sirius just decided to keep going, rather than Harry forcing anything out.

**He signed off by telling Sirius to give a hello to Buckbeak.**

"The concern's touching," James told Harry with a straight face, "but I'm sure out of everyone, Buckbeak is the most okay."

It was the first time they'd all collectively snorted in amusement since the start of this stupid Goblet mess, and as they knew it wasn't going to go away for a long time, they basked in the moment while they could.

**He announced he was done, and Hedwig came down to perch on his shoulder with her leg out.**

"Uhoh," Lily muttered, shifting around in unease, this wasn't going to be pretty.

**Harry tried to explain to her he couldn't use her, but she shrieked in outrage and flew up to the highest ramparts while scratching Harry's shoulder upon take off. Harry waited until he sent the other owl off and tried to call her back down, but she refused and snapped her beak at him.**

"I'm going out on a limb here, and think you really offended her," Remus winced for Harry's outraged face.

"Any owl would act like that," Lily sighed even if she did agree.

**Harry lost his temper and shouted back at her that first Ron, now her, this wasn't his fault!**

Causing all five of them to wince now, feeling like they'd just received a blow to the gut. It felt like most of the bad situations Harry landed in weren't his fault, and yet he always seemed to get the blame for them anyways.

**Harry hadn't really believed that things would calm down once classes resumed, and one lesson showed he was right.**

"Why does Harry still have to go to lessons," James demanded, seeing Harry's face get more down trodden the longer this carried on. "The Beauxbatons and Durmstrangs don't."

"Guess it's a nice distraction at least," Lily sighed, "rather than stewing in his room all day."

**Either the Gryffindors were still applauding him as he passed by, or there was the rest of the houses. The Hufflepuffs in particular made it clear of their dislike for him, as they still felt they were being denied their houses glory which they rarely received.**

"Guess I never really thought about it," Sirius muttered, still wanting to smack any badger kid right then for making his pup feel worse in an already terrible situation.

**One Herbology class was all it took to prove this, as normal friends of his, Justin and Ernie, laughed outright when a Bouncing Bulb smacked him in the face.**

"Least it was the face," Remus told Harry, casting his mind around for anything to get rid of that look again. "When we had to do them, one managed to get Sirius in the-"

"Okay, he gets it," Sirius yelped in remembered pain, making sure Remus saw his stank eye for bringing that back up before quickly reading on loudly before Harry's laughter could subside.

**Ron still wasn't speaking to Harry, though Hermione was constantly going back and forth between the two trying to have normal conversations.**

'Poor Hermione always seems to be taking the backlash of every fight' James couldn't help but think, but decided against voicing that one.

**They sat on either side of her and responded only to her. Even Professor Sprout seemed on edge with Harry, though as she was Head of Hufflepuff House, Harry didn't have to guess why.**

"Wish the teachers would show a bit more decorum," Lily muttered, thinking that she thought that far too often. The adults seemed just as bad as the students at that school some days.

**Normally he would have been relieved to head down to Hagrid's**

"I swear if Hagrid starts to congratulate you on this, I'll steal his umbrella and give it another crack over his head," Sirius seethed.

**for Care of Magical Creatures, but this also meant coming into contact with Slytherins. Malfoy was predictable as ever, a sneer lodging into place on his face the moment he caught sight of Harry.**

"Of course, can't bleeding go one moment without hearing his opinion on it," James snarled.

**He greeted Harry as the champion he was, telling everyone to get their autograph books and the likes out. Then he offered if anyone wanted to make bets on how long he'd last, Malfoy could only see ten minutes.**

Lily started to wring her own hands, trying to pretend she wasn't picturing that child's neck instead for making such a cruel comment about her baby.

**His friends laughed along, but thankfully they were thoroughly distracted by Hagrid arriving and explaining today's lesson, which was to take the skrewts out on a walk.**

Remus' mouth opened with a little pop of horror, but Sirius decided to get the full pandamonium out before anyone could regain composure.

**They were to fix a leash to them and each take one out.**

"He, but they, why?" James balked, trying to imagine the idea made him want to hide inside the Forest until Hagrid came to his senses.

"The only thing I can imagine is that Hagrid's trying to keep them all distracted by such a deadly task, they won't have time to be mocking Harry," Lily huffed.

"I can't imagine why it won't work," Harry told her with a raised brow.

**Malfoy demanded where they'd attach it to, the stinger, the blasting end, or the sucker?**

"I vote all three," Remus rolled his eyes, "see which one gets you first, we can take bets on that instead."

**Hagrid demonstrated how they were to go around their middle, then called Harry over to help him with the largest one.**

They all couldn't help but tense up again, not finding it a coincidence for one second Hagrid had pulled him aside.

**Hagrid's real intention, however, was to talk to Harry away from the rest of the class. He waited until everyone else had set off with their skrewts, then turned to Harry and said, very seriously,**

"Hagrid would do an even worse impression of me," Sirius said with absolute chipper, unbelievably pleased he was sitting by Harry so that his friends could only give him the stank eye for his running gag, his smile actually widening when still no one told him off for it, for now.

**about how Harry was the school champion. Harry corrected one of the champions.**

"I don't blame you for trying to deflect," Lily nodded.

"But now's not the time to make distinctions, when that wasn't his point," Remus rolled his eyes.

**Hagrid watched him anxiously as he asked if Harry had any ideas who'd done this to him?**

The collective sigh of relief they all felt at finally someone other than Hermione treating this situation properly felt like a massive weight had been lifted off them all.

**Harry was relieved that Hagrid believed him, and Hagrid agreed of course he did, so did Dumbledore.**

"Did a piss job of showing it," Sirius grumbled.

**Harry agreed he wished he did know who'd done it. They watched the students for a few moments where the skrewts, who were now three feet long, were towing them around with ease,**

"Lovely," Lily rolled her eyes.

"I really want to see these things in person," Remus agreed without a trace of sarcasm.

**Hagrid said at least they were having fun.**

"Err, who was he referring to?" James asked, considering what Harry had just described, fun didn't sound like the right word.

"The skrewts I'm sure," Harry responded with a stupid, relieved smile still on his face.

 **Harry assumed Hagrid meant the skrewts, because the beasts were** **occasionally releasing a fiery blast from their ends and dragging his classmates off their feet.**

Causing maniacal giggles to erupt through the room, remembering Ron would be one of those, wishing Harry could have gotten pictures of Malfoy being the other.

**Hagrid turned back to Harry and told him that it felt like everything happened to Harry.**

"Yeah, that bout covered it," Sirius agreed with a touch of bitterness drowning out the tone he'd been trying for.

**Harry agreed that felt true, and was apparently the reason Ron wasn't talking to him anymore.**

"I think it's a little more narrower than that," Lily spat, the absolute hatred of Harry's friend treating him like that burning almost as much as what Snape had been up to.

"The fact that he's pissed he doesn't get all the attention doesn't exactly equal out to Harry's always the one in these life or death situations," James agreed with a crinkled nose.

**The next few days were some of Harry's worst at Hogwarts.**

"Which is saying something when you consider my second year," Harry snapped.

**At least in times before when this had happened, he'd had Ron on his side. He knew he could have ignored everything around him if that were still true, but now he had loneliness pouring in from all sides.**

Sirius couldn't stop a pitiful sigh, remembering that feeling all too well, never having wished it on his pup. At least he had Hermione.

**The Gryffindors still only believed that Harry had entered himself and congratulated him whenever they could. He at least expected the attitude from the Slytherin's and Hufflepuffs, but had hoped at least the Ravenclaws would find it in themselves to understand. They didn't. Most clearly thought he'd been trying for a bit more glory as well.**

Remus kept muttering things under his breath Lily would have told him off for, especially saying that while holding her baby, and instead told him to keep it in his head or she'd take him back.

**The opposite was happening to Cedric, who in Harry's opinion, looked much more like the part of champion. Extremely handsome with dark hair and gray eyes, between him and Krum it was a wonder who was getting more attention these days. Harry once spotted the same group of girls begging for Krum's autograph, now asking the same of Cedric.**

"He won't look so pretty if I get a chance to meet him," James promised.

**Sirius still hadn't replied, Hedwig refused to go near him, Trelawny was now predicting his death with more certainty than ever,**

"Oh thank you, at least someone's happy," Lily snapped.

**and he did so poorly in his next Charms class, Flitwick assigned him and Neville alone extra homework on the Summoning Charm.**

**Hermione was trying to comfort him it wasn't that difficult.**

"Since I'm thinking she says that about every spell," Sirius rolled his eyes, "I don't think that's too reassuring."

**She'd been able to pull off the spell since the beginning of class. Hermione tried to say he just wasn't concentrating enough-**

"And that felt more like something a teacher would say to help," James rolled his eyes, "so it's not even good advice."

**Harry snapped he had no idea what could be distracting him, as he walked past a group of girls who gave Harry a look like he was a Blast-Ended Skrewt.**

"Well there's an original look at least," Remus huffed.

**But hey, at least they had double Potions to look forward to!**

"Bloody hell kill me now," Sirius groaned, face planting the pages for a moment to collect himself before deciding to just get this over with.

**That class had turned into a weakly torture session for Harry, it was the most unpleasant thing he could imagine lately.**

"Nah, there are worse things," James said with as much enthusiasm as he could as he cast his mind around, though it was difficult to come up with a worse scenario than that.

"Yeah, all your terrible predictions could come true," Remus quickly jumped in, "so you could be drowning in the lake."

"Or be trampled by a rampaging Hippogriff," James agreed with a wicked smirk.

"Those burns almost came true," Sirius nodded along, "if you'd been walking a skrewt like the rest."

Harry wasn't exactly looking reassured.

Lily had decided this had gone on long enough, she she smarted off, "-or have to deal with a dragon," with a sideways look at Sirius.

His smile disappeared at once and he glared hard at her for a moment before snapping, "now look what you've done, gone and killed all the fun." He turned back to the pages with a humph of protest.

**He'd spent the previous one's with Hermione at his elbow muttering 'ignore them' under her breath, and didn't see this one going any better.**

"That's not helpful advice either," James groaned, remembering the more vivid reaction Ron had once given of throwing a crocodile heart in Malfoy's face, now that was useful. You'd think the smartest girl in their year would have something smarter to say about this.

**They arrived in front of the door to see the students lined up as usual, though oddly most of the Slytherins seemed to be wearing badges. For a moment Harry thought they were S. P. E. W.**

"Hermione couldn't pay them to pull that off," Remus raised a brow in surprise.

**but upon reading saw they were support Cedric badges, the real Hogwarts Champion.**

Lily groaned, fighting back every part of her that wanted to scream that they were all being little shits. If Harry wasn't involved in this, she doubted Malfoy would be supporting Cedric, he was just doing this to be an arse to her son.

**Malfoy looked extremely pleased with himself as he told Harry that wasn't all they could do**

"I already hate this, and yet it's going to get worse," James said without a shadow of a doubt.

**as he tapped the badge and it instead said Potter Stinks.**

"Congratulations Prongs," Sirius hissed.

**Hermione told them with heavy sarcasm that was so brilliant. Ron was standing up the ways near Dean and Seamus. He wasn't laughing along like most, but he wasn't wearing a badge either.**

"Well there's something," James sighed, running his hand through his hair in an effort not to form a fist.

**Malfoy offered one to Granger, telling her if she took it not to touch his skin, he didn't want Mudblood on it.**

"That's it! A ferrets too good for this one. Someone turn him into a bug and squish him already!" Sirius howled in outrage, unbelievably even more incensed than before now that he'd said that!

"Won't find me stopping you," Harry hissed, thinking back to that built up anger he'd been feeling at Hogwarts for so long and hoping it would snap on him.

**Something burst inside Harry's chest as he drew his wand, though Hermione tried to stop him.**

"Don't you Harry him," Lily snarled, "you've punched him for saying less."

**Malfoy drew his own as he began taunting Potter.**

"He shouldn't have had the time," Remus snapped, "you should have shot a curse the moment your wand cleared your pocket."

"Or shot one while your wand was still in your pocket," Sirius agreed, "sneak attacks get the best results."

**They stood frozen for a moment before they shot spells at the same time, Harry using 'Furnunculus'**

"Tame-" James raised a brow.

"-but acceptable," Sirius shrugged.

"For starters," Remus smirked.

**while Malfoy used 'Densaugeo.'**

"Don't recognize that one," Lily said in surprise.

"Knowing Malfoy, I doubt it's a nice one," Harry frowned, trying to think back what it had done to him.

**The spells hit each other and ricocheted off onto others, Harry's hitting Goyle, and Malfoy's hitting Hermione.**

"Shit," they all yelped, sitting up much straighter in their seats to hear what had happened.

**Goyle screamed in pain as he felt his nose, where boils were springing up all over. Hermione stumbled back in shock, clutching her mouth.**

"What did he do to her," James growled.

**Ron jumped forward, trying to pull her hands away to see the damage,**

Harry felt the briefest bit of something, relieved his friend was still in there enough to care about their mutual friend. It was still being drowned with worry about Hermione.

**it wasn't a pretty sight.**

"Oh no," Lily sighed.

**Hermione's buck teeth were growing well past anything average, quickly elongating down past her lip so that she looked like a beaver, and still growing.**

"Oh that poor thing," Lily couldn't help but coo.

"Harry definitely sent a better curse," Sirius said with a raised brow, "what exactly was that spell meant to do? Elongate whatever feature it hit?"

"Is that really the point now?" She snapped at him.

Sirius gave a halfhearted shrug, he felt bad for Hermione of course, but he was far more concerned Malfoy would keep going while Harry was distracted.

**Snape arrived then, pointing at Malfoy and demanded he explain.**

"And still this situation is going to somehow get worse," James seethed.

**Malfoy exclaimed that Potter had attacked him, while Harry corrected they'd attacked at the same time!**

Remus was probably the only one who thought that Harry had technically drawn first, not that he'd admit that to his dying breath, Malfoy more than deserved it.

**Then they each showed the injuries caused. Snape took a look at Goyle and sent him off to the Hospital Wing, but when Ron dragged Hermione forward and showed what Malfoy had done to her, her teeth now reached her collar amidst the giggling going on behind Snape's back,**

"I know for a fact they don't have to bother hiding," Remus snapped.

**Snape said he saw no difference.**

The others mouths flopped open in horror, apparently too outraged to start yelling at him ontop of everything else. It was likely to wear off in moments, but James recovered first. Taking all of his built up frustration and anger that he was trying his hardest not to use on Ron, he had no problems directing them at this wastrel. He began calling Snape every single thing he could think of for what he'd just done to that girl, still a child in respect to when this had happened. At least when he treated Harry like garbage he understood the reason, but with the other kids like Neville and Hermione, he didn't bleeding understand why he seemed to go out of his way to do this to them. Lily or anyone else couldn't blame this on him and Snivellus' war, to take it out on these random kids. Remus had been victimized all his life and he'd never done a bleeding thing like this! He pegged a lot of it down to how he must have developed into a Death Eater, how those loons must have turned an already screwed up, twisted little man into someone whose sole purpose was to make a bunch of kids cry on a regular basis. The only explanation he could come up with was because he was an arse!

The yelling was forced to die down as it so often did because the baby in the room began crying right along with them, and no one wanted to hear that noise. Remus was having problems keeping him simmered down though, mostly because he was so on edge himself, and it was happening so frequently. It truly was sad they couldn't seem to go one chapter anymore without finding something to upset their charge, but no one wanted to put him up either, like they hoped if they just kept going they'd find a reason to keep him near.

**Hermione began crying as she tore back up the stairs out of sight.**

Lily was nearly crying herself, though in frustration. How her oldest friend who'd always been so kind to her could actually reduce a child to tears like that! It used to be unthinkable, now she was regretting every moment she couldn't curse Snape into oblivion.

**Harry and Ron began shouting in unison what they thought of Snape for that, causing such a racket that it echoed around them and exact words couldn't be picked out,**

"Wish you could have done worse," Sirius growled.

**but Snape got the gist of it. He took away fifty points from Gryffindor and gave each of them a detention.**

Remus made such a noise, it sounded like he was being strangled, he just couldn't put into words how wrong this was and that no one ever stopped him from doing it!

**Harry's ears were ringing with injustice as they stormed to a table, wishing he could curse Snape into a thousand slimy pieces.**

"Don't know what's stopping you," James snarled, "Dumbledore shouldn't even stand for that!"

**Ron at first slammed his stuff down next to Harry, but after a moment of collecting himself he moved again to sit by Dean and Seamus.**

"Oh for the love of Merlin!" Lily practically shrieked. "I am going to crack his head open next! How long is that little twat going to hold this against you? If Hermione believes you and he clearly still cares enough about her to stand up for her, why wouldn't her word be good enough for him even if yours wasn't?"

Harry said nothing, no one actually had an answer for.

**Harry spent the lesson picturing all the horrific things he could do to Snape**

"Least you found something pleasant to do in there," Remus snapped.

**like using the Cruciatus Curse on him, leaving him a twitching mess on the ground.**

That gave at least four of them a little twitch, some of their anger ebbing away to be replaced with shock at such a thing. Here was Lily's proof. Harry, and most likely the rest of his classmates, clearly weren't old enough to have learned those spells yet if they just threw them around like this. Even if Harry didn't mean it, though the ugly look on his face showed he wasn't quite repentant yet, that still wasn't just some casual toss around.

**Snape kept focus on the lesson, as he instructed their antidotes were to be complete, and he couldn't wait to test them, his black eyes lingering on Harry. Harry held no doubts that Snape meant to poison him.**

"He, is, not," Lily got out through grounded teeth. "I don't give a damn about the stupid magic keeping us in here, I will dig my way out and murder him if he puts a damned drop of it anywhere near you."

**Harry's mind instead nursed the idea of dragging his cauldron up front and slamming it down on Snape's greasy head.**

"Points for originality on that one," Sirius said grimly.

**Then there was a knock at the door, and Colin Creevey came in.**

"Is he stalking you in the middle of your classes now?" Remus asked rhetorically, knowing that wasn't the case, but it was fun to pick at anyways rather than dealing with things they couldn't.

**He went up to Snape's desk and told that Harry was needed upstairs, the usual smile on his face slipping away as he watched Snape's expression.**

"What's he getting blamed for now," James snapped of no one. Honestly though he was pleased, they all were, getting him out of that room for any reason.

**Snape said Potter was to be here for the rest of his class, he could go when it was over.**

**Colin persisted though, saying Bagman had asked for him.**

"What's Bagman want?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Not quite sure off the top of my head," Sirius frowned.

**All of the champions were needed for some kind of photo shoot.**

Harry went startling red and buried his face in his hands, thinking he'd now rather be poisoned by Snape than have Colin say that!

"Photographs for the champions, of course," Remus sighed.

"This is what Hermione meant earlier," Lily groaned, "they're going to plaster you across the papers like a show."

**Harry would have given anything in the world for Colin not to have said that, his eyes glancing to Ron who was watching the ceiling.**

"I'd love to shove him in front of a camera, if there was ever a time he actually didn't want it," Sirius snapped.

"Or shove the camera into him," Remus agreed.

**Snape agreed Harry could leave so long as he came back, but Colin still said that the Champions were to take all of their stuff with them, they wouldn't be back-**

"He might not be doing the best job," James groaned, "but give the kid points for being persistent."

"Not many students would have said all that to Snape, they'd have scampered back out and gotten Bagman to tell himself," Lily agreed.

**Snape finally conceded for Harry to get out. Harry got one more flash of all the Potter Stinks badges as he left.**

James was grinding his teeth together to stop himself from still yelling about those stupid things, wishing he could jam one of those down someone's throat with or without magic.

**Colin began speaking to Harry the moment they'd left, going on about how amazing this was.**

"Not the word I'd use," Remus said tightly.

**Harry bitterly agreed as he asked Colin why they'd want photos? Colin guessed it had something to do with the Daily Prophet, and Harry couldn't even fake enthusiasm for more publicity.**

"You can just hear the pure sincerity in that," Sirius groused.

**Colin told him good luck when they seemed to reach the right spot before going off.**

"Wait, why was he even the one to go get Harry?" Lily asked. "Shouldn't he have been in class?"

James only had to pause a moment as he cast his mind around before saying, "I picture it like this. Bagman was saying how someone needed to go collect Harry for this, but no one on hand knew which class he was in. Colin was on the way to his own class and over heard this, offered to go get him, and was allowed to be late for his class in order to fetch him, less of a scene if another student does it, at least I would hope," he finished with some mumbling at the end.

**Harry entered to find an unused classroom, with Bagman already inside talking to a woman.**

Harry felt a wave of hatred wash through him as he first remembered catching sight of this person. Though he frowned, not understanding why, and didn't say anything aloud so not attracting anyone's attention to it for now. For some reason though, he thought they wouldn't have long to wait to join him.

**Krum was hovering by himself in a corner.**

"You know, for some star Quidditch player, has he actually ever been seen doing anything about it?" Remus asked, pleased beyond words to have finally found something fun to think about this chapter.

"Nope," Lily agreed, though her like for the guy went up because of it.

**Cedric and Fleur were standing about, Fleur obviously tossing her hair around as they spoke.**

"Flirting is one way to get a good mood," Lily rolled her eyes.

**A shorter man with a camera was eyeing her but hovering near the other woman.**

"Can't honestly blame him," Sirius snickered.

**Bagman caught sight of Harry first and pulled him in the rest of the room, explaining it was time for the wand weighing ceremony**

"The what?" Harry interrupted with some nerves, clutching his wand a little tighter to him.

"Not sure," Lily said honestly. "We've only heard about the big things to do with this, but Bagman makes it sound like another sort of tradition so," she finished with a shrug, at least at ease with this part that she hadn't heard about rather than the abundance of things she had.

**Harry asked what that was, and Bagman explained a professional was going to come and check to make sure their wands were fully functional.**

"Ah, that makes sense I guess," Remus nodded, "though honestly people should get their wands checked every few years anyways, just to be safe."

**The expert was off speaking with Dumbledore, but he and the other heads would be along shortly, then they'd have a photo opp. Then he introduced Rita Skeeter.**

Yep, Harry was right, the moment that name registered they were all back to insanely agitated as they began muttering death threats at this stupid woman for having a go at Arthur like that.

**She was doing a small piece on this tournament for the Prophet.**

"Small indeed," Sirius sniffed without a trace of belief.

**She corrected it wouldn't be that small, with her eyes on Harry.**

"Least she admits it," Lily curled up her lip.

**Harry described her as having elaborate curled hair and a heavy jaw with jeweled spectacles and two inch brightly colored nails matching her outfit. She asked Bagman if it would be alright if she had a quick private word with Harry?**

"What's she asking him for," James snapped, "ask Harry, he's the one who should answer!"

**Bagman agreed he didn't have a problem if Harry didn't.**

"Asking after the fact dosen't cut it," Remus snapped.

**Harry's reply was to say err,**

"I didn't want to be rude," Harry grumbled, a sense telling him he wouldn't care about that long.

**but Rita took that as a yes and dragged him out of the room into the nearest cupboard, referring to it as cozy.**

"Really?" Sirius scowled. "She couldn't have just led you to another classroom, that's just weird."

**Harry watched her with unease as she closed the door and dug out some parchment and a bright green quill, but no ink. She asked if Harry minded she use a Quick-Quotes Quill?**

"What's that?" Harry asked, his unease rising with every word she said.

"Not sure," Lily's frown deepened despite her words.

**Harry asked what that was, and Rita explained it was a hands free Quill. She sucked on the end for a moment and balanced it on the paper, then began a testing sentence by stating her name and job title. The quill reacted at once, scribbling across the paper**

"That's pretty useful," Remus said with honest interest. "Though I do wonder how that thing works without ink."

"Wish I had one of those," Sirius agreed "would have made my homework more bearable if I hadn't had to write it all."

"Honestly, it sounds like a Self-Writing Quill," James shrugged, "but that still requires ink. Maybe this is the next version of it."

**but upon the paper it wrote out that the attractive Rita Skeeter, and her savage quill who often punctured inflated reputations- she cut it off there**

Lily did a double take on reading that though, saying slowly, "well, not exactly like a Self-Writing one then."

"Maybe it's magicked to take in the details of what the speakers seeing, and thinking, as well as what's being said," Remus thought out. "It's why you'd need to suck on it, to personalize it, though I still don't understand what exactly it's writing with."

"Did you actually hear what it was saying though," Sirius was still frowning at this little thing. "Attractive? Punctured inflated reputations? I'm not liking this thing if this is how it's going to be writing about Harry."

When no one answered him, most likely in agreement judging by their suddenly wary faces, he decided to keep reading.

**tearing that piece away and placing down a fresh sheet before turning to Harry and asked what made him enter the Tournament?**

"This could be good for him," James groaned while he ran his hand through his hair, already completely frustrated that this wasn't going to go the way he was hoping but still trying. "Get his side of the story out there."

"We've already had previous writings of hers to show what an arse she is," Lily sniffed, "I wouldn't hold your breath love."

**Harry was distracted from answering as he read upside down about the Quill's description of his ugly scar not quite deterring from his charming face- Skeeter instructed he not watch the quill and repeated her question.**

**Harry returned he hadn't put his name in. Rita was unbelieving as she told him he wouldn't get in trouble for telling.**

Remus made a noise like someone had trodden on Hickory, though none of them sounded a bit better as they were already sick of saying that on Harry's behalf, they couldn't imagine how frustrated he must have been by now.

**Harry insisted he hadn't answered, and she instead changed to ask how he felt about the coming tasks?**

"I hate her already," Sirius' scowl kept growing the more he got out. "Please tell me you get up, and leave!"

Harry just muttered something inarticulate.

**Harry agreed he was a bit nervous as Rita pressed that a lot of Champions had died, had he thought about that?**

"Frequently," Lily hissed.

**Harry tried to say the tournament was supposed to be safer this year, his eyes still watching the progress of the Quill. Rita then reminded he'd faced death before,**

"How would she know about any of that?" Harry demanded.

"I don't think she's referring to any of your times at school," James muttered, making Harry flinch and back down.

**and ask if that affected him? Harry could only get out an err before she kept going, throwing questions out about why he'd been tempted to join the Tournament- but Harry cut her off in the beginnings of irritation he hadn't entered!**

"Beginnings?" Remus huffed.

**She instead switched to asking about his parents.**

Said two parents gave an automatic flinch that they were so used to by now they barely felt the sting of it anymore. Barely.

**Wondering how they would feel about this, angry, worried, proud?**

"Actually, in reverse order, but not too far off," James rolled his eyes at least giving Harry a small smirk for a moment.

**Harry's temper was rising now as he wanted to snap how he was supposed to know how his parents felt? Then his eyes caught a bit of what the Quill was saying, about how he was starting to tear up about his parents, and he snapped that wasn't true!**

"Most likely you had that expression," Remus told the slowly growing murderous look with a straight face, "in which case I do wonder why Rita hasn't tried to run from that cupboard yet."

**She hadn't a chance to respond when the door was opened by Dumbledore.**

"That's, probably not the first time he's found something like that," Sirius muttered to no one's amusement. Did his mind really have to go there?!

**Rita greeted him pleasantly, stuffing her things out of sight as she asked if he'd liked her piece on the International Confederation of Wizards Conference? Dumbledore happily agreed it was as enchantingly nasty as ever, he'd loved the part in particular where he'd been referred to as an obsolete dingbat.**

"I think for once I don't want to argue with her," Lily muttered with a touch of poison, still too strung up about Rita having cornered her son into all of that.

**Skeeter didn't look remotely abashed, saying she'd just been trying to put down how out of date some found him- but Dumbledore cut her off saying they could discuss this later, for now Harry was needed out of this cupboard.**

"Actually I'd prefer to keep him there," Sirius rolled his eyes, "sans Rita of course, but he'd probably be better off than dealing with that school."

"Who knew a cupboard would ever be good for me again," Harry snickered, though he was the only one who did at that unpleasant reminder.

**Harry went back into the first room to see everyone present now including Ollivander.**

"Not surprised he's the expert," Remus shrugged.

**He introduced himself, then called Fleur up first. He inspected her wand, had it shoot a few sparks, than told of the length, inflexible nature, type of wood, and was shocked to find a veela hair.**

"Now that's an interesting choice," Lily said in surprise.

"Wonder if it ever has any weird side affects," Remus agreed.

**Fleur agreed it had been her own grandmothers.**

"So she is part veela," Sirius' interest grew ten fold. "Can't say I'm not intrigued to meet this one."

"She's not even half your age yet," Remus reminded, "move along."

Sirius stuck his tongue out at him.

**Harry mentally filed that away to tell Ron**

"Oh yeah, I can't because he's being an arse," Harry grumbled to himself.

**then he remembered Ron wasn't speaking to him.**

**Ollivander declared her wand sound, and sent her back before calling up Cedric, giving him the same once over and retelling the story of how the unicorn in this particular wand had been over seventeen hands, and nearly gored him when he'd plucked the tail.**

"What a lovely steed," James snickered.

**Then he noticed the high polished wood, and Cedric agreed he'd done so just last night.**

Harry looked surprised at the very idea, it had never occurred to him, but then he looked around and saw the others rolling their eyes at such a practice. Cedric seemed even more vain than Krum lately.

**Harry noticed his own wand was coverd in his fingers smudges. He tried to gather some of the material from his pants and rub at them,**

"Oh don't freak out about that pup," Sirius rolled his eyes "I've only heard of people doing that who are in show business type things where they're wand is regularly scrutinized. Most people don't bother with it."

"Cedric probably only did because he may have had foreknowledge of this happening," Lily agreed.

"Actually, he said he did it regularly," Remus corrected.

"Well then cheers to him," James rolled his eyes, "but it's still worthless."

**but then his wand shot sparks in protest, and Fleur gave him a condescending look, so he desisted.**

Though that at least gave them all a giggle.

**Ollivander soon declared that wand done as well, before calling Krum forward. He shuffled up, scowled as he passed over his wand, and shoved his hands deep in his pockets as it was examined.**

"He's just so pleasant the more I hear," Lily rolled her eyes.

**Ollivander seemed intrigued by the Gregorovitch design.**

Harry jerked like someone had just electrocuted him, though no one had any idea of why. When Harry looked at them for some kind of explanation though, Sirius answered, "he's another wand maker like Ollivander, but lives pretty far off. Most likely in the vicinity of the Durmstrang students, I've only ever heard of him by name."

"He's got some odd rumors spread around him," Remus shrugged "but we've no idea about him really."

"Odd rumors like what?" Harry pressed eagerly, wondering if this was where his odd feeling was coming from.

"Oh just some tosh about how he based his designs off the Elder Wand," Lily tried to wave it all off, "same bout of nonsense as Ollivander supposedly using Merlin-"

"What's the Elder Wand?!" Harry half shouted as a gong was going off in his head telling him to persist this!

The others looked honestly concerned now as James placed a restraining hand on Harry's shoulder, gently instructing, "just an old kid's myth, relax Harry. We'll show it to you later if you'd really like."

Harry deflated like a punctured balloon, whatever trail his mind had been trying to lead him down instantly diverted by being distracted by his dad. He nodded with genuine disappointment, but didn't push the matter for now, though honestly the others wanted him to slightly, what on earth could Harry get up to that would lead him questioning all of this?

**He gave it the same run through as the others, and declared it more than passable. Finally it was Harry's turn.**

"Wish you hadn't gone last," Sirius told him while trying to catch his eye, as Harry was still rubbing furiously at his temple for whatever had been bothering him before, "I feel like that just puts more attention on you."

Harry didn't acknowledge him.

**Harry got uneasily to his feet as he handed over his wand, remembering the first time he'd gotten it like it was yesterday.**

That distracted Harry, as he came back to this story with another shudder, though at least they all understood this one. Even they weren't entirely sure what to make of that scrap of information, having no idea where to begin to understand what it meant to their boy.

**How Ollivander had gone through many wands before handing Harry the one he had now, and after a bit of whittling on Harry's part, Ollivander had finally explained how it's core shared a relation to Voldemort's. Harry had never mentioned this to anyone.**

"Can't honestly blame you," James shivered, it still gave him a chill to think about it.

**He didn't want people to know, as he didn't care what his wand was related to, feeling it as unfortunate as Petunia being his mother's sister.**

"Can't deny I love that resemblance," Lily rolled her eyes.

**Harry did hope Ollivander wouldn't share that story now.**

"Well he shouldn't," Remus scowled at once at the idea. "That goofy story about Cedric's' wand was harmless, but that's personal information about Harry."

"Never seems to stop anyone else," Harry reminded bitterly.

**He was sure the Quick-Quotes Quill might explode.**

"Least that could be interesting," "Sirius huffed.

**Ollivander didn't though, putting Harry's wand through like the rest and declaring himself done. Dumbledore said they were all free to go back to class, though it may just be faster to go to dinner-**

"Yeah, I vote for that one," James grumbled, still smarting over that stupid potions class on top of everything else going on.

**but then the man with the camera reminded for the pictures. Rita agreed, plus they needed some of everyone individually.**

"Can I not!" Harry protested, wanting to take his shirt and cover his whole head up just to stop this from happening.

"If only dear," Lily agreed grimly.

**The process took ages as everyone tried to find a good position. Maxie threw everyone into shadows, so eventually they had her sitting down and everyone standing around her. Krum kept skulking to the back**

"Where I'm sure Harry was trying to join him," James scowled.

**while the photographer tried to keep Fleur in the center**

"Can't blame him for that one though," Sirius grinned.

**and Rita kept jumping forward to put Harry there instead. Finally everyone was satisfied and free to go.**

Harry was pure scarlet in the face by the end of all that, wishing he could just live off of polyjuice potion and be anyone else beside himself...wait-

The others hadn't even be laughing at his expense, they'd been too busy feeling sorry for the poor boy for all of this, which is why Sirius hadn't hesitated to see a dawning look on Harry's face be wiped away when he continued.

**Harry went down to dinner, but Hermione never showed up, so Harry thought she was probably still getting her teeth shrunk. He went back to his dormitory and ran across Ron.**

"Pleasant," Sirius growled, thinking he'd rather take another shot at Rita than this twit!

**He simply stated that he had an owl waiting upstairs and when their detentions were, before walking out of sight. Harry considered going after him, unsure whether to talk to him or hit him**

"The second," four of them muttered under their breath.

**both seemed quite appealing -**

"I'll take that," Remus agreed.

**but decided Sirius' response was more important so went to read that. Sirius began by saying he didn't want to write everything down in case this was read by anyone else,**

"Are you going to make that face at me every time I say that," Sirius demanded without looking up.

"We're just so proud of you showing off your head," Lily told him pleasantly, "we don't get to see it too much."

Sirius lifted one hand, and one finger in particular, away from the book in her direction before continuing.

**and instead said he wanted a face-to-face on midnight of the 22nd of November in the Gryffindor common room, asking if Harry could make sure he was alone then?**

"And just how do you plan on doing that?" James asked in surprise.

"Wouldn't be impossible for him to sneak in there again as Padfoot," Remus pointed out, though his face too looked more concerned than eager for the idea. "Though why the common room, if you were going to sneak back in, you could have chosen any more vacant place in the castle."

"Would you all relax," Sirius groaned, still trying not to look up at them all. "I got away with this for over a year, would you bleeding give me some credit."

"All on your own," Harry reminded, vestiges of fear still lingering as he still tried to get through to Sirius what a terrible idea this was. "The more people who you try to make contact with though, the more likely-"

"You're not going to do anything to get me caught," Sirius cut him off, finally looking up to glare at his pup. "Now relax, the lot of you, this has been depressing enough without you all harping on me."

They all gave in, for now.

**Going on to say that this whole thing made him uneasy, someone having tried to hurt Harry right under Dumbledore and Moody's nose.**

"Not going to argue with any of that though," James sighed.

**He instructed for Harry to be on the watch and still pass along anything usual he saw, and told to give him an answer about that date as soon as possible.**

"Chapter's done," Sirius sighed as he passed the book to Harry.


	20. THE HUNGARIAN HORNTAIL

Yay for extra updates! To all of my guest reviews, thank you so much for the sweet act of reviewing! To a few in particular:

the_badwolf: You flatter me too much, but I thank you as always for the kind review!

Cartlin: Me too, and I'm sure it was one of the things that caused some friction between Harry and Ron later because they didn't talk it out.

Guest: They're offended on Harry's behalf, but that's also why I had James stand where I thought he would, because I agree with you, and Ron has a right to what he's feeling so I didn't want to pin everyone against him.

F***(or Ducky Dawn, whichever): No thanks.

* * *

Harry sighed deeply as he turned to his chapter, knowing he was praying for a miracle just for one good thing to happen this chapter.

**The prospect of actually talking with Sirius was all that sustained Harry over the next fortnight,**

Sirius was still waiting for that moment where that could be said with a smile on his face, like Harry talking to him should cause, not a life line because the rest of the world was being so bad to him.

**as it was the only good thing in sight. The shock of what had happened to Harry had started to wear off, and he was now left with the sickening fear of realizing what was about to happen to him. The first task kept creeping closer, like an animal about to pounce.**

Harry couldn't help a shiver, feeling that description felt a little too close to real.

**He'd never felt more nervous about anything in his life, not even his last Quidditch Cup game.**

"Good times," James muttered absently, trying to push past the moment he realized how few of those Harry really had.

**He couldn't even think past the date of the first task, like his whole life had been leading up to and would end then.**

Lily groaned as her eyes flickered to her son, unbelieving that she couldn't even call him out on over-exaggerating that. If she didn't know better she'd be terrified for his life as well. She did know better and she still was!

**He didn't know how Sirius was going to help with that,**

"Talking it out will still help," Remus tried to say with some comfort, though it came out too wobbly to work.

**but even the thought of a friendly face was some comfort. Harry wrote back to Sirius instantly, agreeing on his choice of date and location. Then he and Hermione spent some time hashing out plans on how to get rid of any stragglers that decided to linger in the common room that night. They settled on the idea of using Dungbombs, though hoped it wouldn't resort to that as Filch would skin them.**

"Nah, he'd probably just blame the twins," Sirius finally found something real to smile at again. "You're not as much of a problem as you seem to think. I'll bet you'd get away with it."

**In the meantime, life became even worse for Harry within the confines of the castle,**

"How is that possible?" Lily balked.

"I still believe it," Harry sighed, not needing a memory to know that could get true for him.

**for Rita Skeeter had published her piece about the Triwizard Tournament,**

James opened his mouth, a pitying look in place, but clearly trying to comfort Harry. Talk of the Tournament was better than he was fearing, but Harry blurted the whole thing out first.

**and it had turned out to be not so much a report on the tournament as a highly-colored life story of Harry.**

Then his head flopped back against the couch, and he had to fight every impulse he had not to cover his ears and sing loudly so as not to hear what Harry said next.

**The front page had been of the picture of Harry, while the article itself (even continuing on separate pages) had only given one mention of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students, misspelled, and Cedric hadn't been mentioned at all.**

"Would actually feel bad for him under normal circumstances," Remus sighed.

"Still wish it had been over him than Harry," James scoffed.

"Or even Krum," Sirius agreed.

**It had been out for over a week now, and Harry still felt humiliated every time he thought of it. Skeeter had gone into great details of thing's Harry had never said in his life, let alone while talking to her.**

Harry had the unnatural look of someone who'd eaten a live fish as everything in that paper came back to him, none of it pleasant.

**Such quotes as he took strength from the thought of his parents, and wasn't ashamed to admit he still cried over them.**

James and Lily felt some terrible minglings going on inside them. How they half-wished that was true and Harry did think about them more, but were almost pleased none of this ever did cross his mind as it would only hurt more. For Rita to be saying any of this without it having anything to do with Harry, though, possibly pushed her up on level with Snape right off the bat.

Harry was planning on not pausing to see reactions to this for as long as he could, trying to get through this waste of paper as quickly as possible.

**There was still more, as Skeeter had gone above turning his 'er' like answers into falsehoods: she'd interviewed others about him too,**

Remus was listening to all of this in an almost detached way, his mind flickering to where on earth he was in all of this. Sirius had never mentioned him in his mad attempt to get back into the country. Could he have possibly come across this article, and believed it? That would hurt him, to think Harry had opened up to this Skeeter woman like that. What would he and Sirius be thinking about all of this?

**the paper having stated that Harry had found the love of his life at school.**

"Did I miss something?" Lily demanded of nothing. "Who on earth is claiming to be your love?"

A colorful look was brewing on Harry's face, made up mainly of disbelief at the nonsense for this part.

**His close friend, Colin Creevey,**

"Stalker," Sirius corrected, "as even if he isn't following you this year, he still knows where you are at all times."

**had been saying that Harry was rarely seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger,**

"He's rarely seen without Ron." James rolled his eyes. "Do people think they're around snogging?"

"You guys were the ones making fun of me for this earlier," Harry reminded, happy to see them laughing this off, but unable to stop himself. "Why are you mocking this now?"

"One," Lily pointed out, "because you've made it very clear she's just a friend, and we believe you."

"Even without the text," Sirius snorted.

"Two," Lily kept going, "this Skeeter woman is being a right something to be talking to anyone but you about your love life, and publishing it. She needs to find something better to do with her time."

Harry gave them an easy smile of thanks, actually feeling a bit better as he kept going now.

**a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry, was one of the top students in the school.**

Harry rolled his eyes at that, finding yet another exaggeration. He most certainly was not top, average at best. He could name five other people in every class who tried to give an answer as often as Hermione.

**Starting the morning of the paper's publishing, Harry had been living nearly constantly with people quoting the article at him in sneering tones.**

"I feel like that instance with Malfoy may become a recurring thing," James sighed.

"Can't say I'm not looking forward to that part at least," Sirius shrugged, "at least it's more entertaining."

**He heard many cruel comments such as asking if he needed a tissue on the way to class, or mocking him for thinking he was one of the brightest people around.**

**As one voice called out for Harry, he finally lost his temper and turned on the spot to start yelling**

"Can't imagine how long it took for that to happen," Lily groaned, finding her son to usually be so mild mannered, it must have taken a lot for him to reach this.

**about how he'd just got done crying about his mum and he was off to do some more!**

Harry couldn't get that out with nearly the same volume or contempt as he had before, not with his mother in the room and giving such a horrible flinch at that declaration.

**It was Cho, who was looking surprised at Harry as she said he'd dropped his quill.**

"Oops," Sirius winced for Harry's flabbergasted face.

**Harry felt red coloring his face as he apologized.**

**Cho quickly added on as she handed back the quill that she wished him luck on Tuesday.**

Harry felt his hands start to shake slightly, as he in no way wanted to read out his first task happening in less than a week, yet he was probably the best to be doing so. Then again, he'd probably be more happy if this book just skipped over the whole event.

**Harry just stood there feeling stupid.**

**Hermione was taking on some comments of her own,**

"Oh, come on, pup," Sirius pouted when he realized the topic had changed. "What was your response? Cho's clearly taken an interest back in you. Work with that."

"I didn't answer," Harry muttered, as embarrassed to admit this to them as he had to Cho, "just walked away."

They were all disappointed to hear that, talking about Harry's love life, of a girl he actually liked, was far more fun than that Tournament.

**but she hadn't yet started yelling at innocent bystanders;**

"Which I'm honestly disappointed to hear," Remus smirked, "as we know she can be quite good at it."

"Could have put a few more Malfoys in place, and with practice could even have gotten away with some," James agreed.

**Pansy in particular loved to mock the fact that anyone had called Hermione pretty, stating she looked more like a chipmunk.**

"Don't know what she's laughing at," Lily raised a sharp brow, "as at least that's a cute animal. Wasn't she the one described as an ugly old dog?"

Harry just shrugged as he said, "Pansy never caught my eye in looks, so," he trailed off to indicate he really didn't have much to say before moving on.

**Hermione kept herself together well as she muttered to Harry to ignore them all.**

"Got to give that girl endless credit though," Lily smiled warmly. "She's grown a lot from that little first year who ran off crying."

"I blame Harry for that," James snickered, "doing everything she's done will give anyone confidence."

**Harry couldn't ignore it. Ron hadn't spoken to him since he'd told of what their detentions would be, and as they had that the same day as the article came out, Ron had spent the time pickling rat brains in the same stony silence as ever. That paper had seemed to cement to Ron that Harry was enjoying all of this.**

"How could he?" Sirius seethed, any good mood they'd had snatched back away at once. "He more than anyone should know about Harry on those subjects!"

"Search me," Harry muttered bitterly.

**Hermione was furious with the pair of them as she tried to force them to talk to each other,**

"Can only imagine how exhausting that would be," Remus winced, thankful he'd never had to live through an argument that bad. At least when the Marauders fought, they made it up to each other quick enough with a prank or two. Even at their worst, they hadn't had a dividing friend.

**but Harry refused, saying he'd talk to Ron when he apologized.**

"Completely reasonable," Sirius agreed.

**Snapping that he hadn't started this, it was Ron's problem!**

**Hermione tried to remind Harry that he missed Ron, and Ron missed him.**

"Then he should admit it rather than acting like a toddler," Lily snapped.

**Harry disagreed at once that he didn't miss anything about him, but that was a downright lie.**

Harry's shoulders sagged a bit as he got that out, still wishing he hadn't admitted that, aloud or otherwise.

**Harry enjoyed Hermione's company, but she spent too much time in the library or reading. There was much less laughter when Hermione was his only friend.**

**She was still spending her free time trying to help Harry with the Summoning Charm, to which Harry seemed to have developed a block for. Hermione insisted it would do him good to learn the theory of the spell.**

"What's with all this fascination on Summoning Charms?" Lily asked, even the smallest distraction was taken with gratitude at this point. "It's not the only spell you learn that year, and you're so far in Flitwick should have started your class in on something else even if you hadn't caught up."

"It was Hermione who kept reminding me about it," Harry grumbled, still unable to shake this odd feeling like he'd be grateful for it. "I'd never outright been able to not do a spell. At least before I'd always managed a small version of it along with the rest of the class by the time we'd moved on. She wouldn't let it go that I hadn't been able to get this one even a bit."

**The two of them ended up spending lunch in the library, usually joined by Viktor Krum.**

"Maybe he just likes to read," Sirius rolled his eyes.

**Not at the same table, but usually a few rows away poring through his own stack of books. Harry wondered if it had anything to do with the first task.**

"Not sure what he'd find in there," Remus said in surprise. "Even trying to go off of previous Tournaments won't help him much; they change them every time."

**Hermione did not appreciate his presence, not that he bothered them, but because his entourage were usually nearer to them giggling the whole time.**

"Can't blame her for that though," James scoffed.

**She angrily grumbled about how he wasn't even good-looking; everyone was just interested in him because he was famous.**

"Most likely true," Lily rolled her eyes in agreement.

**No one would look twice at him if he couldn't do that Wonky Faint thing.**

"Oh, come on, Hermione," Sirius protested at once at the same time James declared:

"Now, there's no need to take your agitation out on the sport!"

Lily had to fight down the urge to repress a giggle at their outraged faces of Hermione's mispronunciation, which only increased in difficulty as Harry clearly sided with them as he kept going.

**Harry quickly told her the correct term, Wronski Feint, not only for the impulse for people to get their Quidditch terms right, but he felt a sharp pang as he imagined the look on Ron's face when he heard Hermione saying Wonky-Faints.**

"Don't need to imagine that," Remus smirked, "I just saw it first hand."

**It was not a pleasant thing to be happening, but the more Harry dreaded the arrival of Tuesday, the more the clock seemed to double in speed for the approach. Harry could barely contain his panic the closer it came.**

There was a collective sigh in the room, all of them wishing for the hundredth time they could stop hearing about this, all of them knowing they wouldn't.

**The Saturday before it was a Hogsmeade visit, and though Harry was looking forward to going he asked Hermione if she planned on going with Ron?**

"Ron seems to have replaced you two with Dean and Seamus," Sirius sniffed. "So I think he's just fine."

**Hermione hesitantly said she was hoping they could meet up with him,**

"Not happening," Remus snapped at once.

**but Harry shot down the idea at once, and then decided he'd be wearing his Invisibility Cloak out.**

"Can't believe you haven't been wearing that around the castle just for a reprieve," James shrugged. "I used to do that a fair few times when I didn't want to be spotted, and you've been living that recently."

Harry nodded in agreement, wishing he'd thought of that sooner.

**Hermione grudgingly agreed, muttering about how she hated talking to him under there.**

"You get used to that," Sirius waved off.

 **They set off for the village, and Harry felt more free than he had in ages. No one even glanced at him, and though some were sporting Cedric badges, they weren't** **quoting that article at him anymore.**

"Good to know they don't do that twenty-four seven," Lily seethed.

**Hermione wasn't enjoying herself as much, as she complained that she was getting some odd looks for seemingly talking to herself.**

"And?" Remus raised a brow, "you'd think she'd do that more often. I know I do, have to get intelligent conversations from somewhere from time to time."

"Love you too, Moony," Sirius rolled his eyes.

**Harry suggested she stop talking as much, and Hermione ignored the jab and asked him to take the cloak off; no one was going to bother him out here. Harry spotted someone who would: Rita Skeeter was coming out of the Three Broomsticks ahead.**

The four of them felt a bone deep shiver at the last time Harry had been in there, hoping that feeling would go away soon.

**They walked past Hermione without even glancing at her, and Harry waited until they were out of sight to point out she was staying in the village.**

"There needs to be restrictions on that," James scowled. "No one who's a threat to the children allowed."

"She's not technically threatening me," Harry reminded with a look that said he still agreed with his dad.

"Making your life a living hell should count," Lily huffed.

**Hermione agreed she was probably sticking around for all of the tasks, and Harry felt another wave of molten panic trying to seize him again at the reminder. He and Hermione hadn't discussed this much; she probably didn't want to think about it any more than Harry.**

"Neither do I," Remus muttered, "yet it keeps coming up."

**Hermione instead suggested they go inside and get a drink, but when she didn't at first receive an answer, she snapped that he didn't have to wait around for Ron.**

"I didn't need to see his face to guess at that either," Sirius nodded.

**The Three Broomsticks was as crowded as ever with Hogwarts students and other villagers alike. Harry had to carefully weave through so as not to invisibly step on anyone while looking for a table. On his way he passed the twins, their friend Lee, and Ron all sitting together.**

"Oh I bet they just love that," James rolled his eyes. "Their kid brother following them around."

"Guess Dean and Seamus don't want to put up with him either," Sirius agreed nastily.

**Resisting the urge to give Ron a hard poke in the back of the head,**

"You've more restraint than any of us," Remus sniffed.

**Harry instead reached a table and was quickly joined by Hermione, who passed him a drink. Hermione sighed that she looked ridiculous sitting here alone, but at least she'd brought something to do. She pulled out her S.P.E.W. notebook.**

"Is that still at three?" Lily asked with interest.

"She'd managed to add a few more," Harry admitted with an attempt at a smile, "but still very few, and none of them could be considered active except her."

**Harry spotted his and Ron's names still on that list, and felt like it was a lifetime ago the three of them had sat around while Hermione had made them part of her group.**

"When my biggest problem was Sirius, oh wait that's all the time," Remus huffed.

"I think Harry's been beating me out," Sirius protested without any real heat, honestly wishing he was the focus more than his pup; the kid needed a break.

**Hermione was looking around the room thoughtfully as she suggested that she should try to get the villagers interested in her ideas.**

"I doubt that'll work any better," James shrugged. "Really, I'm surprised she hasn't taken a hint yet."

"I doubt she will until she finds her own conclusions," Lily reminded, hoping she could hear those when they came about.

**Harry agreed without interest, asking when she'd give up on this spew stuff? Hermione hissed back when house-elves were treated with the respect they deserved!**

"The poor thing could turn into a ghost and not see that come true," Remus winced for her.

"Oh I'm sure she'll figure something out by then," Sirius waved him off.

**Then she said that she'd been nursing the idea to find the school kitchens.**

Causing bursts of genuine laughter from the three Marauders, as they hadn't heard a sentence like that since their first year, and it had quickly been corrected.

**Harry told her to go ask Fred and George, then they lapsed into silence. Harry was people watching. Hannah and Ernie were a few spaces away swapping Chocolate Frog Cards, and Cho was near the bar talking to some friends. She wasn't wearing a Cedric badge, which managed to cheer Harry up considerably.**

Indeed, Harry had a bright smile of his own in place at the reminder, now ignoring the others' continued giggling.

**His mind cooked up the image of how he'd be feeling if his name hadn't come out of that Goblet. That he, Ron, and Hermione would all be sitting around as carefree as everyone else, wondering and gossiping about the champions. They would all be supporting Cedric, safe in the stands.**

The smile slipped off all of them at once, having envisioned much the same thing back when this stupid thing had been announced. Why couldn't Harry's life ever be that simple?

**He wondered how the other champions were doing. Cedric usually looked nervous but excited around his many fans. Fleur looked as haughty and unruffled as ever, and Krum was always seen around books.**

"Fascinating," Lily rolled her eyes without any inflection, as she couldn't seem to care too much for them when her Hare Bare had to deal with so much more on top of their problems.

**Harry thought of Sirius, and the tight, tense knot in his chest seemed to ease slightly.**

Some of that jealousy finally returned to James when he heard that, wishing Harry would stop bringing that up. He was happy Harry had someone to talk to about this, he wasn't going to deny that, but did he have to mention it every five minutes lately?

**At least he'd be talking to him tonight, assuming nothing went wrong as it so often did lately.**

"Thank you for that absolute comfort," Remus groaned, crossing his fingers Harry hadn't just jinxed that.

**Hermione spotted Hagrid, bending low and talking to Moody. Rosmerta was giving the ex-auror some dirty looks as she walked past for drinking out of his hip flask, seeming to feel it offended her mead.**

"I can imagine why that would insult her," Sirius said with a fond smile.

**Moody had explained for his class, though, that he only ate and drank his own prepared food, so that Dark wizards couldn't poison him.**

"Least some things don't change," James agreed mildly. Moody'd been that way for years.

**Harry watched them get up to leave and had automatically raised a hand to wave them goodbye before remembering that he couldn't be seen. He seemed to catch Moody's attention regardless though, as his magical eye hovered on Harry.**

"Wait, what?" The three boys yelped in shock, sitting up a little straighter.

**The two teachers made their way to Hermione's apparently alone spot, and while they both bent down to greet her, Moody murmured for Harry's ears that he was sporting a nice cloak.**

Harry's wasn't the only mouth that flopped open in shock.

"I've never known anything to see past my cloak," James snapped at once, outrage clear on his features that something had penetrated his treasured object.

"What on earth is Moody's eye made out of?" Remus demanded of nothing.

"Good thing Moody wasn't ever in school when we were," Sirius scowled, "or we'd have been in a lot more trouble. We used that thing a lot more than Harry does."

"Well, have you ever tested it against things that can see through invisibility?" Lily asked. "That mirror saw through it."

The boys didn't look happy, but agreed they supposed they hadn't run the cloak against everything they could have. It was just disconcerting to realize otherwise.

**Harry stared at him in shock as he realized Moody's eye could see through his cloak as well. Moody said as much aloud, admitting how it had come in handy a lot.**

"Oh, I believe that," Sirius nodded.

**Hagrid spoke next, keeping his voice low as he whispered to Harry to meet him at his hut tonight at midnight wearing that cloak.**

"Why?" The four not reading demanded at once. They liked Hagrid enough, but no midnight meeting at his place had yet to end well.

"You're not going to like the answer," Harry seemed to mutter without realizing as he kept going.

**Then they did leave, and Harry asked Hermione what the reason for that visit could be. Hermione had no idea, but reminded him he'd better make it quick or he'd be late for Sirius.**

"And there's that," Sirius agreed with just a touch of snoot to his voice. "Hagrid can talk to him all the time at the castle. I'm a little more restricted."

"Still," Lily sighed, "it's not like Hagrid to invite Harry out after curfew, so whatever he's got to say must be important. Harry shouldn't just blow that off either."

"I think he can make both," Remus frowned, "so long as Hagrid hurries up whatever it is."

"Well, let's hope so," Harry said with huge relief, though not admitting the majority of that came from the realization there was no way his meetings with both Hagrid and Sirius could be crammed into the normal length of these chapters. Hopefully this meant he wouldn't have to read about his task after all.

**Harry agreed the two would cut fairly close to each other, and he considered sending Hedwig to Hagrid with a note he couldn't make it, if his bird even consented to doing so,**

"Oh yeah, that's still going on," James muttered randomly.

**but as Hagrid had never asked him out after hours before, curiosity won out. When the time came Harry snuck down into the common room in his cloak to find a lot of people still awake, the Creevey brothers, for example, who had gotten a hold of some Cedric badges,**

"Wow, what's a stalker good for if he won't even be on your side?" Sirius raised a brow while Harry gave him a hard nudge for that continued picking.

**and were trying to switch them to Harry badges.**

"Aww," Lily cooed. "Well, thank them for that. At least someone's trying to keep it fair."

Harry didn't look remotely pleased at the idea. That was all he needed: his name showing up all the more, but he couldn't deny he found the idea flattering at least.

**So far all they'd accomplished was getting them stuck on the Potter Stinks spell.**

"Some improvement required," Remus snorted.

**He went over to the hole and waited patiently for Hermione to come through, opening the door for him so that it wouldn't apparently open on its own.**

"Why would you bother with that?" James smirked. "We went out all the time under that. She stopped asking long ago what it was."

"She usually just seemed to assume it was someone who opened it, then closed it again from the inside just to annoy her," Sirius agreed wickedly.

"And I've never seen the students question it either," Remus agreed with a careless shrug. In a school full of magic, not many people bothered to question such things as a door they thought might have moved.

Harry just shrugged, not having wanted to raise more suspicion than he had to.

**Harry thanked her as he walked past, and on his way down noticed the Beauxbatons carriage was still lit from the inside. He ignored that for the most part and knocked. Hagrid flung the door open and Harry was a little startled to see he'd dressed up, wearing an artichoke in a buttonhole and having attempted to tame his hair again.**

"Wonder what the purpose of Harry noticing the Beauxbatons carriage was lit up before was?" Sirius tried for a vague tone.

"Can't have anything to do with Hagrid's appearance again," James didn't even pretend at the same tone.

**Harry asked what he was being shown, his first fear being the skrewts had produced more eggs, or Hagrid had somehow gotten his hands on another three-headed dog.**

"Both terrifying options," Lily nodded in agreement, "but I'm hoping Hagrid will have something more relevant for you. Like a secret he'll finally let slip of what could be coming for the first task."

Harry blinked at her for a few moments, quite sure she was right, but didn't press it just in case.

**Hagrid told him to keep quiet and to follow along under the cloak. They wouldn't be taking Fang; he wouldn't like this.**

"That wasn't encouraging," Remus' brows shot up at once.

"Starting to get less fun," James agreed, his hand already wanting to mess with his hair with nerves.

**Harry tried to warn Hagrid that he was in something of a hurry, but Hagrid shushed him as he walked off to the Beauxbatons quarters. Harry tried to ask what was going on, but Hagrid shushed him again and knocked.**

"What is Hagrid up to?" Lily sighed, sounding more exasperated than curious now.

"When we find out, I'll let you know," Sirius snarked.

**Maxime answered with a welcoming smile for Hagrid, asking if it was time? Hagrid gave her a 'bong-sewer' in greeting,**

"Credit for trying," Remus snickered as both Harry and Hagrid had clearly managed to butcher the French word.

**holding out his arm and assisting her down the steps. Arm in arm, the two took off past the paddock while Harry tried to keep up in total bewilderment.**

"Same here, pup." Sirius was frowning and starting to get fidgety, possibly for no good reason, but this really was getting weirder by the moment.

**Harry was wondering if all Hagrid had wanted to do was show off Maxime, but he could see her anytime: she wasn't hard to miss.**

"You meant easy, dear," Lily corrected.

"What?" Harry asked, only slightly distracted.

"It's a meiotic reference to her height, so you should have said she wasn't easy to miss," Lily explained.

Harry watched her for a few beats before smiling slightly and turning back to the book.

**Maxime seemed to have no more clue than Harry what was going on, as they entered the shade of the Forbidden Forest and she asked where he was taking her.**

**Hagrid promised she'd enjoy this, but she had to promise not to tell her champion as they weren't supposed to know.**

"This does have something to do with the first task," Lily's brows shot up into her hairline now.

"If Maxime doesn't tell Fleur whatever it is, I'll kiss Sirius," James scoffed.

"Don't make bets you can't win Prongs," Sirius tried for his casual voice, but the joke was lost as they were all consumed with curiosity now.

**Maxime flirtatiously agreed as they kept walking. Harry was getting impatient as he followed, checking his watch to make sure he wouldn't miss Sirius. If they didn't get on with this soon, he was going to go back to the castle and Hagrid could enjoy his moonlit walk with his date.**

Harry was starting to get a prickling feeling up his spine though, knowing right now he would be quite glad if he didn't leave.

**It was as they were rounding a bend in the forest that blocked the castle from sight that Harry started to hear the roaring.**

Harry's mouth started to go dry; already anxiety was creeping back into him for whatever he was fixing to find out, and all humor was drained right out of the room as the others listened intently for what beast this could be.

**Hagrid pulled Maxime into the thicket of trees, and while Harry hustled around to see what was going on, but quickly froze in horror as at first he spotted bonfires with men jumping around them. Then his eyes focused, and he saw the dragons.**

Harry sat there with an expression he was sure he was also wearing at fourteen. Fear. How on earth was he expected to get past a living nightmare?!

His shellshocked reaction was a kindness compared to his godfathers though.

"No, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, this is not happening, I am done, no!" The second that bloody beast had seeped into his brain, that the mental image of what Harry was fixing to have to be put through really sunk in, he got to his feet and stormed for the stairs, muttering 'no' over and over again along with a few choice words.

The others watched him storm out, unsure what to say to him, let alone tell themselves in any attempt to feel like this could ever be okay. This was finally too much. Dragons!? The most powerful creature that existed, and they were going to send an individual person to try and, what? It didn't matter, the act of the task wasn't the point, dragons!

The baby began fussing, and Remus quickly realized he needed a diaper change. He quickly darted up the stairs as well, leaving the three of them in more blank silence. No one seemed to know what to say. What could they say? At least Harry had survived whatever on earth he was fixing to combat, but it wasn't going to stop all of them from having a massive panic attack while it was happening, and most likely a flashback to what had happened to Sirius.

Some of Harry's shock seemed to wear off as he gave himself a shake, glancing at his two parents with an attempt at a normal smile as he said, "guess I owe Hagrid a thanks. Can only imagine that I would have frozen up if I'd seen that for the first time officially in the tournament."

"Yes, I guess so," Lily murmured her agreement. "I just can't belive, what are they thinking?"

Harry seemed to move unconsciously closer to his dad who was bouncing his knee in that agitated way he did. When James realized what Harry was doing he managed to still himself and bury that almost selfish glee that Sirius had temporarily vacated; otherwise Harry probably would have been trying to comfort him. He quickly kicked that feeling away; he was being a prick. Harry would want to try to get closer to someone he actually knew rather than a guy he'd only ever heard the name of.

His mental back and forth was cut off anyways by Sirius returning, along with Remus right behind him. Sirius was now holding the baby and the two were bickering long before they'd been heard.

"-I know he makes it out alright, don't see why I have to hear about the bloody incident! This is base torture, you know!"

Remus had his hand on Sirius' shoulder as he guided him back into the room, patiently reminding, "because I can guess right now that the chapters you decide to flake out on will have something important in them, and you'll badger us and try to reread it yourself anyways. This way is far easier; plus if you faint again at least I won't have to be the only one to deal with it."

"I didn't faint!" Sirius snapped at once as he threw himself into his seat with as much violence as he could while still minding his injuries and the baby in his arms. "I, I just-"

"You alright?" James asked quickly as he eyed Sirius with a lot more concern now: he hadn't realized he was going to get that bad.

"I'm fine," he snapped, keeping eyes only on the baby. "Let's throw you in the room with a fire-breathing dragon for Merlin knows how many hours and see you not remember it."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Remus kept at his calm tone. "You know the best way to distract a dragon is to get it in the eye. You'll pass that information along to Harry; whatever happens he'll be fine."

Sirius still grumbled a bit under his breath, still not quite able to shake off his memory, but at least it was now being overlaid by the advice Remus had given him about a dragon's weak spot. Surely Remus was right, he'd tell Harry that as soon as possible. It still wasn't that comforting. When that silence just kept laying thicker in the room, Sirius really did snap at Harry, "oh, would you just keep going."

Harry looked from Sirius to the others, but when no one else had anything to say he decided to do just that, if anything just because he was sick of the quiet.

**Four fully-grown, enormous, vicious-looking dragons were rearing onto their hind legs inside an enclosure fenced with thick planks of wood,**

"Wooden?" Remus demanded, now looking faint as well. "Who actually decided putting dragons behind a wooden enclosure was a good idea?"

"With any luck they're enchanted not to burn, and probably the easiest temporary pens," Lily huffed.

**roaring and snorting - torrents of fire were shooting into the dark sky from their open, fanged mouths, fifty feet above the ground on their outstretched necks.**

The longer Harry kept reading out descriptions, the more likely Sirius looked to lose consciousness all over again. Yet James kept waving him on frantically in a pleading attempt to get this over with.

**There was a silvery-blue one with long, pointed horns, snapping and snarling at the wizards on the ground;**

"Swedish Short-Snout," Remus muttered.

**a smooth-scaled green one, which was writhing and stamping with all its might;**

"Common Welsh Green," he pointed out again.

**a red one with an odd fringe of fine gold spikes around its face, which was shooting mushroom-shaped fire clouds into the air;**

"Chinese Fireball," he said for his ears alone since Lily was giving him an increasingly nasty look for constantly doing this when no one really wanted to know.

**and a gigantic black one, more lizard-like than the others, which was nearest to them.**

Remus didn't seem capable of getting that last one out, for which Lily was grateful, as his running commentary was leaning her towards smacking him next, but honestly she was more terrified still that just naming the beast was bothering him.

**There were about eight wizards trying to handle each dragon, pulling on the thick chains keeping the too-large lizards on the ground that were hooked to their legs and necks. Harry couldn't take his eyes off of them, the one closest who was black with cat like pupils bulging with fear or rage he wasn't sure.**

"I wouldn't blame a combination of both," James said weakly.

**They were all making a horrible screeching noise. One wizard noticed Hagrid's arrival and warned him to keep back: he'd seen the Horntail shoot its fire at forty feet.**

"Got the longest range of all the breeds," Remus agreed with a shiver.

Lily leaned in close and whispered, "I am going to strangle you for Sirius if you don't knock it off."

"I can't help it," he muttered. "Either I talk or I start screaming my own head off."

Lily pursed her lips for a moment before leaning back in agreement; at least he was whispering it mostly to himself.

**Hagrid didn't pay the caution any mind as he whispered how beautiful they all were.**

"I'm going to dismember him," Sirius murmured, keeping his fingers curled as tightly around his little charge as he could without hurting him.

**Another wizard called that they weren't doing any good, and it was time to stun them. On the count of three, all the wizards pulled out their wands and shot darts of red lights at the beasts, who all froze in place with still furious open jaws. They landed with such force the ground seemed to shake.**

"Considering they weigh more than several of those trees, wouldn't surprise me," Remus grumbled.

**The dragon keepers started moving with purpose now as they secured the links more properly, and Hagrid asked Maxime if she wanted to move closer now. Harry followed them uneasily, and was surprised to spot the wizard who'd warned Hagrid to be Charlie Weasley.**

"Oh joy, guess now we get to know what he meant," James groaned.

**He greeted Hagrid in a friendly manner, explaining that the dragons should be good for now. They came in on Sleeping Drafts**

"How did they even get them here?" Harry demanded without really wanting to know. "I seriously doubt they did what we had to Norbert," he finished with an expectant look at Sirius.

Sirius gave another hard shiver, but he really did finally seem to be calming down as he shot back, "Never doubt what I can do, pup!"

"Please quit winding him up," Lily grumbled, "I liked him better silent."

"Love you to Lils." Sirius rolled his eyes at her.

Remus actually turned to answer Harry. "Well, as Charlie said, they knock them out so they can't do anything stupid, but then they turn their packaging into Portkeys. However, well, you saw the results of them waking up in an unfamiliar place."*

"Why couldn't Charlie's friends have just done that to Norbert?" Harry demanded with a huff.

"Portkeys are monitored," Lily shrugged. "Any time the spell is used to create one, the Ministry knows about it, and it would have been a lot harder for them to explain that than just say running across a baby wild dragon."

Harry nodded in agreement but decided to move on, the quicker he got away from those things the better.

**because they'd thought it would be better for them to wake up in the dark and quiet, but they clearly still weren't pleased.**

**Hagrid asked what breeds they were, his eyes on the biggest black one with reverence.**

All five of them had looks of shock on their face at that. They knew how much Hagrid cared about them, so they did suppose seeing a fully grown one like this would be a dream come true, it was just mind boggling for this to be anyone's reaction!

**Charlie pointed that one out as the Hungarian Horntail and listed off the others as well.**

"So, Remus?" James asked in a too-high-pitched voice. "Which one should Harry pick to try and deal with?"

"None," Remus said at once with a drawn look, before receiving a smack upside the head and a stern look from his seat mate before quickly correcting himself, "err, I mean, any of them. Yeah, Harry's going to make a breeze of the lot."

"You're just so encouraging," Sirius told him deadpan. "How do you do it?"

**Then Charlie spotted Maxime taking a closer look, and he scolded Hagrid for bringing her along: she'd tell her champion.**

"Yes," all five of them agreed.

**Hagrid didn't seem too worried as he said he thought she'd like to see it, his eyes still on the dragons. Charlie shook his head as he laughed about what a romantic date this was.**

"Not really," Lily snorted, though she supposed if Maxime didn't agree with Hagrid's fascination, the romance was quick to die, so best get it out there now.

**Hagrid quickly pointed out the number of how many there were, one for each of the champions.**

"I gathered that, thank you," Lily shivered.

**Asking what they had to do, fight them?**

Sirius felt a little vomit trying to fly up his throat at the thought.

**As far as Charlie knew, they just had to get past them.**

"Get past them, eh?" James asked, who seemed to have developed a nervous twitch in his leg which wasn't going away. "That's nicer than what I was picturing."

"Is it going to be, like, timed?" Lily raised a curious brow as she tried at a guess. "You have to be in an enclosure with them for so long?"

"Please, I am begging you, stop," Sirius groaned. He was planning on ripping off his ears when the actual event came. He did not want to sit around speculating about it until then.

Mercifully, they heeded him.

**The handlers would be there to make sure nothing got out of hand. For some reason they'd been asked to bring nesting mothers.**

"I don't want to know why either," Remus balked, now fearing Lily's guess may be hitting home, and it had just become quantifiably more dangerous.

**He didn't envy the poor soul who got the Horntail. She was the most vicious one: her back end was as dangerous as her front.**

No one actually wanted to hear what Harry was fixing to describe. Even Remus, who knew what was coming, wasn't at all curious to hear a live description rather than a drawing.

**Charlie pointed toward the tail, and Harry saw spikes protruding along it every few inches.**

"Huh, wonder where they got their name from," James rolled his eyes.

**Charlie's co-workers were bringing eggs to the dragons now, settling a clutch of cement-looking ones next to the Horntail. Hagrid let out a moan of longing.**

"I will murder him if he even considers it," Sirius said with sincerity.

"I think that moan meant he was already thinking about it," Harry pointed out, though quickly tacked on, "but I'm sure Hagrid's learned his lesson."

"Nice save," James snorted, none of them honestly believing him.

**Charlie noticed and warned Hagrid they were all counted.**

"Was that sad that Charlie had to warn him?" Lily rolled her eyes.

"Charlie more than anyone knows Hagrid is likely to do it," Remus shrugged.

**Then he asked how Harry was doing? Hagrid just said he was fine,**

"No, he's not," Harry muttered mutinously. He was much farther from okay, thankful that the book had skipped the fact he may have pissed himself a little when he'd first caught sight of those things himself.

**his eyes still on the eggs. Charlie hoped he would still be fine after facing this lot,**

"Thank you, Charlie," James snarled, "as a trained dragon keeper, it bloody warms my heart to hear you saying that!"

**he hadn't even dared to tell his Mum what he knew the first task to be, she was already having kittens about the boy.**

Lily couldn't stop a noise, half pleased that Molly's mothering so clearly extended to Harry as he so sorely needed it, half agitated anyone else was there for her son when she should have been the one losing her mind in both times.

**Charlie imitated his mother's tones quite well as he mimicked her saying how they'd let Harry into the tournament, he was too young!**

"Well, there you go," Harry sighed, "finally someone who's as ticked about it all as you lot."

"And I thank her," James nodded in agreement.

**Then Charlie kept going about how his mum had been crying about that article Skeeter had wrote, about how he still cried over his parents and she'd no idea.**

Harry groaned in misery. That's all he wanted, yet more people thinking that of him. It hadn't even hit him yet that people outside of Hogwarts would have read all that stuff as well. Great, now he was the laughing stock of the whole world!

"What's she doing believing Skeeter's articles, anyways?" Lily demanded sharply, her tone perhaps a bit much at her own sting of replacement still present. "She knows just as well as we do what a fraud that woman is after all she wrote about Arthur."

"Maybe she didn't read who wrote it," James offered with an absent shrug, though none of them really believed this as Rita had made no qualms about keeping her name present and accounted for. Honestly, none of them had a real excuse for her, that was pretty bad of Molly.**

**Harry had heard enough. Knowing the combination of dragons and Maxime would keep Hagrid's attention,**

"Wouldn't be surprised if he'd forgotten you were there already," James rolled his eyes.

**Harry turned and fled back to the castle. He wasn't sure whether he was glad he knew or not.**

"There's the bright side," Lily sighed, pushing her hand through her hair as she thought it through. "Just imagine if you hadn't at least had time to prepare for this. Daring in the face of the unknown my arse, no one gets within yards of a dragon and doesn't know about it!"

"Doesn't seem rightly fair, though," Remus frowned as he thought about it. "Harry and, no one should kid themselves, Fleur now know, but the other two don't."

"What can you do, though?" James shrugged. "It's who you know, not what you know."

"You're terrible," Lily told her husband pleasantly.

**At least the shock was wearing off. He could only imagine his reaction if he'd seen them for the first time in front of the crowd, he'd probably pass out.**

"Wouldn't blame you if you did with foreknowledge," Sirius hissed.

**He probably still would, as he was going to have to face a dragon with just his wand, which felt like nothing more than a flimsy bit of wood at the moment.**

"Well, don't beat yourself into the ground, though," Lily quickly tried to tack on some encouragement.

"You lot admitted my best bet was to get it in the eye," Harry scoffed. "A rock could do that as well as a spell with good aim. I didn't exactly feel safe."

"He's getting cheeky," James smirked when Lily had no come back for that.

**He had to get past the fifty-foot-long, fire-breathing dragon with everyone watching. How?**

That set most of them into a bit of a panic again. What if Harry didn't figure this out? How badly could he get hurt before someone stepped in?

"Sirius'll tell you how," Remus reminded at once when he saw them all starting to freak out again. "I told him that ages ago. Once he starts breathing again that's the first thing he'll tell Harry to do."

"Not sure how much comfort that'll give him," Sirius snorted so violently he may have sent a little of his brains out with it. "Beast the size of Hogwarts? Ah, just poke it in the eye."

"You're exaggerating," James reminded.

While Sirius was distracted sticking his tongue out at James, Harry quickly kept on.

**Harry continued running through the grounds, checking his watch as he saw he only had fifteen minutes left to make it back to his meeting with Sirius, when he slammed into something.**

"You run flat into the bricks?" Lily muttered, distracted enough herself she knew she might have.

**Harry fell to the ground and looked up in surprise to see Karkaroff.**

"What's he doing out there?" Sirius snapped, straightening at once with narrowed eyes. He hadn't believed anything could distract him from dragons being around his pup, but a Death Eater did it.

"Nothing good," James scowled.

**Karkaroff demanded to know who was there, but as Harry was still under the cloak he saw nothing. Karkaroff seemed to decide it must have been an animal, as he looked down at his feet like he was expecting to see a dog.**

Causing a twisted sort of smile on all of their faces, as they'd love nothing more than for a certain Grim to appear right then and scare the bejeezus out of him.

**Karkaroff pushed past the moment and then continued his way towards the trees Harry had come from, where the dragons were.**

"Think he saw Hagrid and Maxime walking off?" Lily asked in surprise. "Got curious where they were going?"

"From where, his boat?" Remus demanded with a frown, "and even so, so what? What's it to him? I'm betting they've been flirting terribly since they met, what's it to Karkaroff for them to be out like that?" Then his face twisted as he realized he may not want an answer to that.

"He might have heard Hagrid talking earlier?" James offered, "telling Maxime he had something secret to show her. Karkaroff could just assume it had something to do with the Tournament-"

"Which he would have been right about," Sirius finished with an roll of his eyes. Even if that was true, it was pretty presumptuous.

**Harry got back to his feet and entered the castle much more carefully now, his mind on the other champions. Harry had no doubt the other two heads of schools would share what they saw this night with their students, leaving Cedric the only one who wouldn't know come Tuesday.**

"Oh yeah, nearly forgot about that," Remus muttered with some honest feelings of pity for the Hufflepuff. It didn't feel right, him being left out, but what could be done? Cedric just hadn't the resources like the other champions had of someone offering up the information. He'd be the only one facing this challenge blind, as they all should have been. Well, it would certainly be interesting to hear his at least.

**Harry took all the stairs at a run once he was inside, still watching his watch as he only had five minutes left.**

"You think Sirius will appear there instantly?" Lily asked.

"And freak out if Harry isn't there," James agreed.

**He gave the password and slipped inside, looking around an empty common room. He couldn't smell anything, so everyone must have gone to sleep without the Dungbombs.**

"Or the house-elves have cleaned up the smell already," Sirius shrugged.

**Harry pulled his cloak off and sank into a chair, the fire the only source of light as he looked around. On one of the tables was the badges the Creevey boys had been working on, which now read Potter Really Stinks.**

"I'm sure that's what they were going for," James snorted.

**Harry glanced towards the fireplace again, and jumped. If he hadn't seen Mr. Diggory's head in the Weasley fireplace over the summer, he would have been sure he'd be losing his mind.**

Lily couldn't help a little giggle as she thought about that moment, but Sirius would have calmed him down fast enough.

**Instead he quickly knelt down to talk to Sirius. He looked different from the last time Harry had seen him, with sunken skin and matted black hair.**

Sirius gave himself a little shake of unease, running his hand through his hair in agitation at the thought; it was by far the kindest description as opposed to other features that had been told. Then he scowled at his friends who were trying to subtly eye him with worry; clearly they hated thinking about him looking so different as he did, but they didn't have to stare.

**Now he looked a little healthier, his face less lined and his hair much shorter and well kept, finally resembling the picture Harry had of him at the Potters' wedding.**

Lily still didn't bother to hide her relieved sigh at that. She'd been worried that Sirius wasn't taking care of himself now that he was out of Azkaban, that he'd actually continue to get worse on his new found freedom and possible revenge seeking. This was a good mark of improvement.

**Harry asked how he was, and Sirius quickly shoved past that and asked how Harry was doing seriously.**

Harry defused any tension left from Sirius' description by laughing boyishly at his own mind's choice of words, causing the others to groan and mumble at him and Sirius who gave a happy smirk at Harry.

**Harry tried to say he was doing fine, but the word wouldn't come out. Instead everything that had happened to him came pouring out, especially Ron and how he couldn't stand to be in the same room with him. He finished by blurting out he'd just seen the dragons and that he was a goner!**

They all tensed like a spring to be released, considering his reaction when this had already happened to Harry, they were honestly terrified of this time and what he'd do.

**Sirius watched him for a long time with eyes that had not yet lost the shadow Azkaban had given him, a haunted look. He hadn't spoken once while Harry talked, but now he quickly said that they could deal with the dragons in a few moments, he had to say something else first.**

James choked, looking very close to like someone had just tried to blow his head off. The fact that Sirius didn't even flinch at the mention of there being dragons spoke volumes of what his time in Azkaban had done to him. What once had been his greatest fear was suddenly a passing comment. It gave him more of a spin then anything yet that his best friend could have such a radically different reaction: it almost made him feel like he'd lost his best friend to Azkaban and was now being forced to watch some replacement.

Sirius just sat there with his head cocked to the side as he realized the same thing James had, though somehow he still managed to grow more worried. He must have found something really bad to try and take Harry's attention away and not try and tell him a dragon's weak point.

**He didn't have long, he'd broken into someone's house to use this fireplace and had no idea when they'd be back.**

Lily sighed and gave an exasperated look at the ceiling, she almost wished he had just changed into Padfoot now and gone there in person. It felt less dangerous than that.

Remus felt yet another blow attack him as he wondered why Sirius couldn't have come to his place to do this, or was that being to kind? Did he even have a place? Was he so financially broke he couldn't even offer Sirius that? It's not as if Harry knew, so he couldn't bring himself to even bring it up.

**Harry was shocked, asking what could be worse than dragons?**

Sirius opened and closed his mouth with a great shudder, nothing like that even able to cross his mind now.

**Sirius answered Karkaroff.**

"What?!" they demanded, James' arm fighting down the impulse to grab Harry and pull him closer on instinct. They'd gone from having suspicions about him, to a confirmed panic that a person was a bigger threat to Harry than a dragon! They hadn't thought this day could get worse!

Still, Harry didn't let the shock last for long as he unenthusiastically kept going just to know what Sirius had to say about him.

**He'd been caught as a Death Eater and had been in Azkaban with Sirius for a time,**

There would not be a time where every one of them would hear a thing like that and not get a chill all over.

**but he'd gotten out. Sirius was sure that's why Dumbledore had wanted an Auror at Hogwarts this year, to keep an eye on him. Harry asked how Karkaroff had gotten released, and Sirius bitterly said that he'd made a deal with the Ministry.**

"I can see where you're coming from," Lily murmured, her nails biting into her palm and still unable to release a fist. Her brother being forced in there for a crime he didn't commit while Karkaroff was released because of a trade! A lot of someones were going to be hearing from her on the practice of all this.

**He'd put some people into the prison in his place, and Sirius had heard the rumors that he'd turned his school into one heavily featured around the Dark Arts, so he couldn't be too repentant, so Harry needed to watch out for the Durmstrang student.**

"Fair enough," Remus agreed. "Though they've hardly formed a friendship so far."

"I wouldn't know that," Sirius sighed as he raked his hand through his hair, suddenly beyond frustrated that he was forced to talk to Harry in the dead of night just to pass along information. When would they finally get to a time where they could just talk and relax like any resemblance of normal?

**Harry asked if Sirius thought Karkaroff had been the one to put his name in. He'd been furious along with everyone else when it had happened.**

**Sirius pointed out he was a really good actor, the Ministry had believed him enough to set him free.**

"Another point to Padfoot," James sighed as he rubbed furiously at his eyes from exhaustion, and not the physical kind.

**Then Sirius added that he'd been keeping up with the Prophet**

Harry flushed with renewed embarrassment about that stupid thing all over again, now a hundred times worse as he was dying to know if Sirius really believed all that, humiliated if he did.

**and he'd found the article about Moody's attack right before he started working at the school.**

Which gave Harry the small hope that Sirius wasn't too caught up at least.

**Harry tried to interrupt, but Sirius quickly said he knew it had been reported as a false alarm, but Sirius wasn't so sure. He thought someone had actually tried to stop Moody from getting to Hogwarts.**

"You seem fairly adept at the process of reading between her lines," Lily said in surprise. "You can't have had that much practice at it yet."

"I'm used to the Daily Prophet doing it in general." Sirius rolled his eyes. "They're better than Skeeter at it, but even they've been known to hold back, so it wouldn't really change with another name and more bull on top of the original." He finished with a shrug and waved Harry on.

**Harry asked if Sirius really thought Karkaroff was out to kill him, and demanded to know why?**

**Sirius hesitated as he explained that he just didn't like all of these things that had been happening, and the disappearances. Bertha Jorkins had last been heard of in Albania, and that had also been the last place Voldemort had been rumored to be. Bertha would have known about the Tournament.**

"Because she was in the department at the time, of course," Remus blinked in surprise. They hadn't thought about her in a while; since this tournament they'd all but forgotten about her in light of other things, but Sirius had now brought up a really good point. It did explain some of Voldemort's comments before, but how on earth had he formed a plan around the Tournament? He didn't really have anyone to help him with this plan though...except that faithful servant at Hogwarts he'd mentioned. Now they had two likely candidates, Karkaroff and Snape...and he wasn't the only one getting a creeping chill up his spine as he finally realized who the culprit behind all of this was. Voldemort was behind this happening to Harry, so Harry would be lucky if the worst thing that happened to him was all the horrible attention he was getting.

**Harry tried to brush off that Bertha couldn't have just walked up to Voldemort.**

Sirius couldn't keep hearing this without a terrible growl building in his chest, as he knew quite well Bertha hadn't just walked into anyone. She'd been conned into it by a rat.

**Sirius explained that he'd known Bertha in his youth, she'd been a few years above him, and she was an idiot. Very nosy, with no brains, and that was a terrible combination to have.**

Lily felt her innards being twisted away in pity for that poor thing. Even if she never knew Bertha, it still felt terrible, this happening to her. Peter would know her the same way as Sirius was explaining. He'd have been caught, but concocted the scheme from all the times he'd managed to talk her out of anything at school. It felt terrible that his past with his friends just seemed to keep coming at the worst for Harry.

**It wouldn't be hard to lure her into a trap.**

**Harry reached the conclusion that Voldemort was the reason he was in this tournament, that Karkaroff was helping him.**

**Sirius admitted he didn't know for sure. Karkaroff wouldn't go back to Voldemort unless Voldemort was all-powerful again, but whoever did do this to Harry was looking for a way to get him killed and make it look like an accident.**

"Thank you, Sirius, there was my chipper thought for the day," James huffed.

**Harry agreed it wouldn't be hard to pull off, the dragon would do all the work for them.**

**Sirius quickly tried to say something about that,**

Harry tried to force himself to relax, sure that Sirius was fixing to tell him the same thing Remus just had, that Harry was going to live through this with their advice and everything would be okay.

**that using a Stunning Spell would be a bad idea as their hides were too thick for just one spell to get through, but all it took was a simple- he cut himself off when Harry shushed him with a terrified look in place.**

"Damn," they all hissed in unison. Why did that have to happen now! Whoever had decided on their midnight wanderings had the worst timing! Well, hopefully Sirius could just send his advice with the next owl, because he needed to get out of there now!

**Harry could hear footsteps coming down the stairs, and he told Sirius to leave now! Sirius did just that, and Harry quickly got to his feet to block the fireplace as he glared at the stairs. If anyone caught him, the Ministry would be dragged into this, and Harry could be questioned about Sirius' whereabouts.**

Sirius didn't look particularly concerned about that, trying to prove he wasn't going to get too worked up over a thing like this. Harry didn't even know where he was, so if his godson was somehow forced to tell through the Ministry, Harry couldn't really do anything bad. In fact, on the contrary, if they somehow forced Harry to tell all he knew about Sirius, he might be able to get some of the truth out. It had been so long, no one could believe that he was still Confounded. That charm wore off like any other, though since it was a form of a memory charm, it was always considered tricky. This was all worst case scenario, though: Sirius knew he'd taken the warning and vanished the moment Harry had said something.

**He still didn't move when he heard the pop behind him which meant Sirius' disappearance. Harry was still glaring at the stairs for whoever had decided to take a stroll at this time and interrupt Sirius' advice about the dragons.**

**It was Ron.**

"Oh," they all groaned, unbelievably relaxing back. As angry as they all were with Ron, he was still the best option for that to have been right then. Though it still didn't answer what he was doing.

**He stopped when he spotted Harry, asking who he'd been talking to. Harry snapped it was none of his business, and what was he even doing down here? Ron began to say he'd noticed Harry wasn't in bed, but cut himself off with a shrug,**

Lily realized Ron would have noticed Harry hadn't been in bed yet, had perhaps even been worried enough for a moment that his friend might need a friend and had tried to come down and talk to him. If the boys were going to make up, maybe Ron was finally starting to try.

**declaring he was going back to bed.**

**Harry shouted at him for nosing around,**

James winced and sighed for Ron; he hadn't meant to interrupt something so important, it had just been rotten timing.

**not caring that it hadn't really been Ron's fault for walking in on something so important.**

**Ron snapped back with an insincere apology about how sorry he was for walking in on Harry practicing his next interview.**

Remus snarled in outrage as he fought back the urge to curse someone who wasn't even here. How could Ron still be going on about that!?

**Harry grabbed one of the Potter Stinks badges and chucked it at Ron, managing to hit him on the forehead. He stormed past him, snapping that maybe Ron would be lucky enough to have a scar there, that's what he wanted!**

Harry read that with a haughty sneer in place, hoping he could finally get through Ron's overly large head how petty his problem is.

**He expected Ron to do something as he walked past, half hoping he'd throw a punch, but he did nothing as Harry marched off to bed, and Harry never heard him come back up.**

"Chapter's done," Harry huffed as he tossed the book to Remus.

* * *

My Patronus is a Black Bear, one of my favorite animals and, gah, I couldn't be more happy about it! Let me know yours!

A couple of you pointed out that Sirius' great fear of dragons didn't make sense in regards to this chapter in particular, but I actually planned it that way. I wanted something really dramatic to show what a different person Sirius would be between while he was reading this and what he would turn into, and his contrasting reactions to the dragons news was just one of them.

*At least, that's my best guess for how they got into the country, let me know if you've got other ideas.

**I am not a Molly hater, but really, her believing Skeeter's articles after what all she wrote about the Weasleys really does blow my mind. The worst of the comments about her will be in this and one other chapter of this book though, maybe a few things in the fifth, so aside from occasional spikes of jealousy from Lily, I promise this will never get into bashing. Towards any character for that matter.


	21. THE FIRST TASK

Thank you all so much for sharing your patronuses! I find it the most fascinating thing to think about, that and animagi and, fingers crossed, we'll get an official quiz for that as well.

To xiaoweisan: You brought up two things that I have every intention of speaking of and explaining in-story, but not now because spoilers, and I'm mean like that. Thanks for the review!

To Guest: Sorry if I got your hopes up; occasionally I manage to get in updates on the weekend, but don't expect it. My standard's usually Wednesdays.

* * *

Lily couldn't help it, her anger at Ron really was starting to bleed out by now to just be replaced with sorrow for both him and Harry. Both boys needed to talk to each other: she was sure they would work this out if they did, but while both blamed the other it didn't seem to be happening soon. What would it take to get it through Ron's head this wasn't Harry's fault? Ron was clearly growing tired of the argument though, so if Harry finally snapped and tracked him down, could they hopefully settle their differences soon?

Lily was the only one hoping along those lines. James was still trying his hardest not to think about it at all, while Remus and Sirius still wanted to smack the redhead a good one. Remus began his chapter with anger still bleeding into his tones.

**Harry awoke Sunday so distracted, that he started trying to get dressed by putting his foot into his hat.**

Sirius tried for a laugh at the mental image even if he didn't really feel it.

**When he'd finally got all his clothes on the right parts of his body,**

"Sure you didn't want to try pulling a sweater over your drawers next?" James muttered.

**he went in search of Hermione, waited impatiently for her to finish her breakfast, and then dragged her back out to the lake so the two could talk some more. He told her everything Sirius had said, and though she was alarmed about the news of Karkaroff, she deemed the dragons more important for now.**

"Wish you had realized that," Remus sighed at Sirius. "I'm still blasted you found anything more important to discuss than that, even a Death Eater."

Sirius just shrugged, really not having a defense for himself. He certainly agreed Harry should be on his guard around anyone from Durmstrang now, but those dragons really were a bit more pressing at the time.

**She agreed they needed to focus on keeping him alive until after Tuesday,**

"Oh thank you, Hermione, that was very encouraging," Lily huffed.

Remus fidgeted with the page for a moment, hoping desperately something else would happen to Harry in between now and when that First Task would come up so that he wouldn't have to read it, but then he realized it would in fact be Lily's turn to read about her son against a dragon, so he instead changed his wish to just getting this over with.

**then they could worry about Karkaroff. They walked for a long time around the water, but when no ideas came to them of how to get past a dragon, they set off for the library.**

"That could work at least," James nodded along. "You should find a passage talking about a dragon's weak spot, and come to the conclusion on your own of what to do."

"I still don't see how that would help," Harry sighed. "So I get it in the eye, then what? Now I've got an angry dragon because I managed to hit it, on top of whatever else I'm supposed to be doing."

"Still better than not knowing anything," Remus offered with a forced smile. Harry didn't argue the point.

**At first all they could find were spells to help maintain a dragon's health for those like Hagrid who cared about that thing.**

"Not top priority right now," Lily agreed.

**The next set of books were about how powerful one would have to be to get any sort of magic past a dragon's thick hide, but Harry countered that Sirius had told about a simple spell doing the trick.**

"I'm worried that they're taking that too literally," Sirius frowned. "They need to stick with the dragon books to see what I meant."

"There's nothing easy when it comes to dragons, really," Lily agreed.

**Harry suggested they go through some simple spell books instead, tossing aside one named Men Who Love Dragons Too Much.**

"Also known as Hagrid and Charlie, the nutters around them right now," James muttered.

**They instead starting flipping through a new set with Hermione whispering at Harry's elbow the whole time about various things, such as how it would be ridiculous to try and Transfigure it, not even McGonagall was that powerful, unless he tried to do the spell on himself.**

"Now there's an interesting idea," James said with honest amusement.

"Harry's not at that skill level yet," Lily corrected.

**Those were really advanced though, and the only reason Hermione knew of a few was because of some pre O. W. L. papers she was doing.**

"Of course the bloody fourth year has been," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"She's got to stay on top somehow," Remus shrugged.

**Harry snapped at her to please stop, he was trying to concentrate.**

'And she was just trying to help,' Lily wanted to sigh, but didn't correct him as she could only guess at how stressed her son was right now.

**All her silence brought, though, was a loud buzzing in Harry's ears that left just as little room for concentration as he continued flipping through spells like scalping and pepper breath. That last one would be terrible, and would probably just increase a dragon's firepower.**

"Can't deny it would be interesting to see, though," Remus muttered to himself, knowing he was the only one to think that.

**You could give it a horned tongue, though that would really just be an extra weapon.**

"Well, this clearly isn't helping," Lily groaned.

"Better than sitting around the common room freaking himself out," James sighed.

**Hermione spoke up again in exasperation about Viktor Krum showing up again, muttering why he couldn't just study on his ship.**

Harry felt a funny little feeling tingling in his gut, like he wanted to laugh at a vexed Hermione around Krum, but the feeling was so buried with the gut wrenching fear of facing a dragon soon he never even really registered it.

**Hermione suggested they just take the books and leave; his fanclub would be around soon. Sure enough, not moments after they were leaving, they could see several students trying to tiptoe inside, one wearing a Bulgaria scarf.**

**Harry didn't sleep that night, and when Monday awoke him, for the first time Harry truly considered running away from Hogwarts.**

"Ooh, my poor baby," Lily finally couldn't stop herself, she'd been trying to restrain how sorry she felt for Harry for ages so as not to smother him or embarrass him or anything, but she just couldn't hold it back anymore with how genuinely bad this was for him.

Harry gave his mother a warm, reassuring smile which seemed to at least somewhat put her at ease, but it didn't really erase a pang in his head telling Harry that for some reason he should remember something about leaving Hogwarts? He never really ran away did he?

**One look around the Great Hall, and Harry knew he couldn't go through with it. This was the first place he'd ever really been happy. He supposed he must have been when he'd lived with his parents, but he couldn't remember that.**

"Least I have them now," Harry quickly inserted before he had to watch depression mix in with the already wound up nerves of his family. They gave him a grateful smile for the effort, even if it was still hard to shake that sentence off.

**The thought that staying here and facing a dragon was still a better option than going back to Privet Drive did give him some comfort.**

"Oh thank you," Lily still couldn't help but ground out. "It just warms my heart to know a dragon is still better than that!"

Harry wasn't sure if that was sarcasm or pure anger at the reminder, most likely both.

**As Harry began to leave breakfast, he noticed Cedric departing as well. Harry realized that Cedric was the only champion who didn't know, if he was right in guessing Maxime and Karkaroff would tell their own.**

"You most definitely are," Sirius scoffed.

Remus, though, was watching Harry with a calculating look, wondering why Harry was thinking about this again when he noticed Cedric walking off... Was he really going to?

**Harry told Hermione he'd met her in their Herbology class as he watched Cedric leaving.**

"Oh you're not," James asked with a genuine smile.

"I think he is," Lily corrected with a fond look at her boy.

"Only seems fair," Sirius smirked in agreement.

**Hermione tried to protest he was going to be late, but Harry promised he'd catch up to her.**

"Considering Sprout's unusual ire with you, you're risking a lot for this," Remus reminded.

"He's helping out a Hufflepuff, though," Sirius waved off, "so I'm sure she'll forgive him.

**When Harry caught up he found Cedric surrounded by a group of Hufflepuffs who had been one of the most common groups to be quoting Skeeter's article at Harry.**

"Bloody, bleeding, a-holes picking on a younger kid," James huffed. Quidditch was one thing, if this had just been going on right before a tournament or something, he knew he'd laugh it off, but this wasn't a Bludger problem, this was a life and death tournament!

**Harry trailed at a distance until he noticed they were headed for a Charms class, which gave Harry an idea. He pulled out his wand, aimed carefully, and used the Diffindo spell on Cedric's bag.**

"Well, that was rude," Lily got out around her own giggling; she couldn't deny it was effective.

"Ah, he can just repair it later," Remus waved her off. "You can't deny him points for thinking up that."

"Helps that he knows how much of a distraction it is," James agreed with a wild smile as he remembered back to Harry's lovely singing valentine because of this moment.

**Everything fell out of the bag, including a bottle of ink that smashed and sprayed all the books with the black liquid. Cedric quickly waved his friends on when they stopped to help, Cedric telling them to let Flitwick know why he'd be late.**

"And the usual response," Sirius agreed, as this was a fairly common occurrence and no one really wanted to help pick up slimy, inky anything. It stained your hands for a time no matter what.

**Harry only waited long enough until they went out of sight before running forward, and telling Cedric that the first task was dragons.**

"Subtle as a brick to the face," James got out around a fantastic snort.

"I don't know if there is a way to ease into that," Remus snickered, "so Harry's way was probably best."

**Harry watched the gray of Cedric's eyes take on some of the panic building inside Harry.**

"Least he doesn't think you're pulling his leg," Sirius shrugged, as that would probably cross his own mind. From an outsider, with all the flack Harry was getting, he wouldn't have put it past Cedric to think Harry was doing this as some sort of set up.

**Cedric tried to ask how Harry knew, but Harry brushed that off, not wanting to get Hagrid into trouble.**

"Honestly though, what is to stop them wandering the grounds and finding out?" James rolled his eyes. The three of them couldn't have been the only students in their youth to be out wandering the grounds so much, and the dragon pens weren't exactly in the heart of the forest.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they set up security not long after Harry left," Lily pointed out. "Warn away any students trying to get close, official Tournament business and all that. If Hagrid hadn't snuck Harry in there right when he had, it probably would have been a lot harder to be done."

"Fair enough," James agreed.

**Harry quickly explained that Fleur and Krum knew as well, so now all was fair. Cedric straightened up with all of his stuff, now eyeing Harry suspiciously.**

"That's what I was looking for," Sirius nodded. "He's got to be a bit suspicious of you."

"Thanks," Harry drawled. Everyone here knew Harry was doing it out of a kindness, but even he'd admit he would have been suspicious of someone doing this for him as well.

**Cedric still asked why he was being told, and Harry gaped at him in shock. He wouldn't have let his worst enemy go into this blind, well perhaps he would of Snape or Malfoy.**

"Agreed," James yelped instantly, finally something fun to think about! "There's a ton of room for potential mayhem-"

"James," Lily cut him off fondly, "would you please plan your plots later?"

James couldn't help a smile when he realized his wife had said later instead of knock it off, at least it meant she wasn't really opposed to the idea.

**Harry repeated it was fair this way, now everyone was on the same ground.**

**Before Cedric could respond, they both heard the distinctive clunk noise of Moody approaching, and the man rounded the corner moments later and called Harry to follow him.**

"Why?" James yelped in surprise.

"Think Moody heard him and is going to tell off Harry?" Lily pouted. "It's not like he can do anything though, the damage has been done."

**Cedric was told to go off to his class, so Harry followed Moody with unease. Was Moody going to ask how Harry knew about the dragons?**

"This could turn bad," Sirius agreed.

**Would Moody tell Dumbledore and get Hagrid into trouble, or just turn Harry into a ferret to teach him a lesson?**

"Is that your go-to fear of him now?" Remus asked between laughter. "I think he's got other animals up his sleeve."

Harry just shrugged, that bouncing ferret had really been a lasting memory.

**Well, it would be easier to get past a dragon if he were a ferret.**

"Can't argue with you there," Sirius agreed with a repressed shiver.

**Harry went into Moody's office and took a seat, unnerved as always when Moody's magical eye focused in on him, but then Moody told Harry that he'd done a very decent thing.**

"Well, he's not at the start of telling you off," Lily murmured hopefully, though if that wasn't what he was doing, why had he dragged Harry there?

**Harry wasn't sure how to react to that, but at least he wasn't being told off yet. Instead Harry started to look around the office.**

**In Lockhart's day, the place was plastered with pictures of the man himself.**

"Thank you for the remembered nightmare," Sirius snorted. He'd still never heard of anyone so vain.

"Thank you for the remembered payback," James corrected with a wicked grin. At least he'd got his comeuppance in the end.

**Lupin had been more likely to have a Dark creature in a corner ready for his next class.**

"Because Moony's the only nutjob who loves them so much he keeps them on hand," James snickered, which Remus gracefully ignored by flushing slightly and reading a bit louder.

Lily was just glad that Harry had never had the reason to visit Quirrell in his office; she didn't want to know what he would have found.

**Now, it was full of odd objects, such as a cracked Sneakoscope,**

"Why's it cracked though?" James asked in surprise, Moody was a well-known maniac for keeping his gear in top priority.

"Your guess is as good as ours," Sirius shrugged, though just as confused.

**a golden aerial that was humming,**

"That's a Secrecy Sensor," James smiled in surprise, "though I wonder why it would be going off now. No one in there should be hiding anything."

"How long is the range?" Sirius asked. "Could be picking up students up to no good, couldn't it?"

James nodded in fair point.

**and a mirror on the back wall that wasn't reflecting the room, but shadowed figures Harry couldn't make out.**

"Ooh, that's a Foe-Glass," Remus smiled. "Those are really rare; I wonder where he got it." He didn't wait for Harry to ask this time before adding on, "it shows the outline of your enemies, and when they come into focus it means you'd better start running. Great head start if you learn to use it properly."

Harry nodded in understanding of what Remus had said, but not why he was getting a prickling feeling. All of this made perfect sense, so why did he still have a growing suspicion about Moody any time he was mentioned?

**Moody noticed Harry's staring and asked if he was interested in his Dark Detectors.**

"I would if any of them were active," Remus scoffed. Moody was supposedly there this year to keep an eye on anything suspicious going on, yet he had all the instruments to help him do so off. What was the point of that?

**Harry asked what they were, and Moody explained each of them, but added on he kept them off because the kids at this school made them activate too easily, though he added on gruffly it could be more than just kids.**

"There's my cheerful thought," Lily huffed, that's all she'd been thinking about since this mess had started.

**Harry then asked about the mirror, and Moody explained its use and how it shouldn't be a concern until you could see the whites of the eyes. Then Moody would have to go for his trunk. Harry spotted it in the corner, with its seven keyholes. Harry wanted to ask what was in there, but got distracted by Moody's question,**

Harry rubbed furiously at his temple for a moment, feeling like he should go back and kick his fourteen-year-old self for not investigating that further, because it was going to bite him in the arse. Thankfully no one pressured him to talk about it though: they all knew the results they'd get.

**of Harry finding out about the dragons.**

**Harry hesitated to say anything, still not wanting to get Hagrid into trouble. Moody just barked a laugh, though, saying he wasn't upset, cheating was as traditional as the Tournament itself.**

"Won't find that in any books," Lily chuckled, "but I can't imagine him being wrong."

"I really don't even see what Harry did as cheating," Remus agreed. "Is there actually a rule saying you can't help your fellow players? Crouch just said you couldn't have outside help like from the teachers."

"If you ever bother to find out, let us know," James snorted.

**Harry quickly corrected he hadn't been cheating, it had been an accident he'd found out.**

**Moody waved him off, saying it wasn't a big deal. Maxime and Karkaroff would be worse in helping their champion, as much as they wanted to beat Dumbledore. They wanted to prove he was human.**

"Something I'm going to more than enjoy showing," Sirius hissed bitterly. Even when he did rip that rat's head from his body, he wasn't likely to forget the great leader of the Order who hadn't lifted a finger to help him when it happened.

**Then Moody asked if Harry had any ideas of how he was going to get past his dragon. Harry told him no, and Moody said back he wasn't going to help him with that.**

"I wouldn't expect him to," James raised a sharp brow in surprise.

"Though if he's not there to tell you off, what was the point of him doing this?" Lily asked.

Nobody actually had an idea. Why was Moody taking an interest in Harry like this? Was it possibly Dumbledore again, who'd asked his old friend to keep a special eye on the boy? They wouldn't put it past him.

**He would, however, give Harry some advice, to play to his strengths.**

**Harry at once said he didn't have any.**

Harry flushed in shock when he received four startled faces. He still felt that way, was going to repeat himself and try to just move on, but then Sirius snorted and shook his head as he declared, "the funniest part is, you actually mean that."

"Harry, everyone's got things they're good and bad at," Lily scolded maternally. "You've clearly excelled in some classes but lack in others, just like every other student."

"DA," Remus quickly said when Harry looked like he was still going to disagree. "I can only name one third year I've ever known to make a Patronus. I'd call that a strength." He decided to leave off the mention of the Imperius curse. Though just as impressive, that one wasn't as good to think about.

"Plus you're a ruddy good Seeker," James quickly put in as clearly Harry wasn't going to agree on the academia side, "best I've ever seen."

By this point Harry was so red and desperate to change the subject, it didn't even click in his brain what his dad had really said as he told Remus, "alright, please keep going or I'll take that and do it myself."

They were all chuckling with good nature. This was certainly much more pleasant to be talking about than dragons, so none of them really wanted to go back to the book, but Remus decided to save Harry anyways, as he did know how it felt to have things you didn't believe thrown at you like that.

**Moody snapped that Harry most certainly did have strengths, then told him to think. What was he best at?**

**Harry's first response was to say Quidditch, but it wouldn't do any good.**

James' smirk widened all the more. He knew he'd hit Harry's best point, and when Harry gave him a warm smile to show that the praise his dad had given for agreeing meant the world to him.

**Moody agreed he'd heard all about what a good flier Harry was, but Harry pointed out he wasn't allowed to bring his broom down, just his wand. Moody kept going with one more piece of advice:simple spells worked best to get him what he needed.**

**Harry blinked for a few moments as he tried to put it together.**

"Oh!" Sirius did a double take in shock.

"Well that's, something," James got out around a crackling throat that was trying to laugh.

"You're going to somehow get your broom to you, to fly past the dragon," Remus said slowly, before nodding with bright eyes and saying, "well, major credit, it's certainly better than running!"

It didn't take Harry but a few moments at watching them before it all clicked together in his mind, and he started laughing in relief.

Lily was smiling with pure indulgent happiness at her boy. Of all the times she'd complained about his Quidditch status, at last it finally seemed to have done some good for him. She hadn't seen Harry relax so much since before this Tournament had been announced.

**Then Harry realized what he'd have to do was get his Firebolt down to him, and for that he needed Hermione.**

"Wait, where did Hermione come into this?" Sirius asked in surprise.

"Harry needs a spell to get his broom to him," James shrugged, "who would you ask?"

"Good point," Sirius acknowledged.

**He caught up with her in Herbology, whispering desperately to her he needed to learn the Summoning Charm by tomorrow.**

"Oh, but of course you pick the spell you've been having trouble with all year," Lily snorted.

"How else could I get it to me?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Well, you certainly picked the easiest way," Lily corrected herself. "The Summoning Charm is so flexible with its wording and doesn't have a range, that would be a recommendation, but with the fact that you haven't mastered it after trying for months at school, I would have suggested an alternative."

"Any others I can think of, though, are at an even harder level," James countered back for Harry, "and there's a difference between slacking off on your homework, and 'I need this bleeding spell for a really important reason.' I think Harry'll figure it out."

"Trust him on this one," Sirius smirked when Lily didn't really look convinced, "you'd be amazed what sudden motivation will help your wand to accomplish."

Lily suddenly realized the two big headed idiots were referring to themselves being able to pull off an animagus transformation at such young ages, and they did have a point. Besides, there was no point pestering Harry about it; he already did whatever it was that got him through, so she let it go.

**They began practicing at once, finding an empty classroom so that Harry could try to get the objects to come towards him magically, but with minimal good. Most dropped like stones halfway there.**

**Hermione kept telling Harry he had to concentrate harder,**

"Is that all the advice she's giving?" Remus rolled his eyes. "Telling him the same thing over and over won't ever cause an improvement."

"Thank you, professor," Sirius snorted.

James couldn't help a little frown though, as he really did wish that Moony had still been around to help Harry with this. It would have made him feel better as he knew that Remus could get Harry through some pretty difficult spells already.

**Harry snapped at her that he was trying, but for some reason a dragon kept popping into his head!**

"Yeah, that's cause for distraction," Sirius shivered, wishing he could go back to picking on his friend now, as that was already popping up in his head every other sentence this chapter.

**Harry wanted to skip Divination to keep practicing, but Hermione refused to miss her Arithmancy class, and Harry felt there was no point in trying without her around.**

"Why?" Lily asked in surprise. "If all the advice she's giving you is to tell you to concentrate, I'd think not having her around for a space would do you some good."

"I didn't really like being alone," Harry muttered. "I tended to freak myself out more when she wasn't at my elbow muttering things."

**So he went up to the tower and was forced to listen for a time about how the planet's current alignments meant that people born in July were going to be suffering sudden deaths.**

"It's not very sudden if he's been expecting it for months," Remus snapped in a real temper; he was sick of that woman's stupid predictions.

"Can someone shove a planetarium up her nose already?" Sirius grumbled. "Might distract her long enough Harry can drop this class."

**Harry shouted back at her that at least it was sudden, he didn't have to suffer!**

Which gave them all a nice, surprised burst of laughter that they had been sorely missing for ages now. Anybody smarting off to Trelawney was always a good source of mood, even if the topic was usually depressing.

**Ron looked for a moment as though he was going to laugh,**

"Genuinely impressed he restrained himself," Sirius said, his good mood still lingering enough he didn't sound as sore as usual.

**he caught Harry's eye for the first time in days at least, but Harry was still too resentful to care.**

Lily and James exchanged exasperated stares, both now on the same page that they'd lock those two boys in a room themselves if it would get them to talk to each other and get this over with. It had worked for Remus and Sirius, and that fight had been worse than this one.

**Harry spent the class trying to get things to zoom to him under the table, but most failed except for a fly. Harry didn't think this had anything to do with him, though: perhaps the fly was just stupid.**

Causing another smattering of giggling to erupt in the room, all of them now quite glad indeed Harry had come to this class. It was great at relieving most of the tension at least.

**After dinner Harry and Hermione snuck back down to an empty classroom under the Invisibility Cloak to practice some more, but Harry still didn't get very far when Peeves showed up and thought that Harry was wanting things thrown at him and started chucking chairs around.**

Only Sirius and James got a good laugh out of that. They hadn't heard about the Poltergeist in a while, and he was always around when you needed him the least, and the most. This time was sort of both for them, as they really didn't want to let go of their laughing mood, because the moment they did, they'd remember what Harry was fixing to do.

**At nearly two in the morning, Harry was finally surrounded by the books, quills, and whatever else he'd managed to summon to him.**

"And me Mum always told me nothing good happens after midnight," James beamed.

Lily didn't even bother with the worry that Harry should have been in bed; she knew as well as anyone her boy wouldn't be getting any sleep.

**Hermione looked as exhausted as he felt, but praised him he seemed to have finally gotten the spell right.**

**Harry agreed that he'd certainly seemed to find a good motivator, threatening him with a dragon.**

"Is that all it takes?" Sirius demanded as he theatrically popped himself in the forehead, "I'll keep that in mind."

"You'd Crucio someone before you let that threat hang over you," Remus mock-scolded him.

"Well, I'm not as good a person as Harry," Sirius shrugged without remorse.

**He successfully summoned a dictionary to him, and Hermione promised that Harry had gotten the spell down at last. Harry still wasn't so sure, as tomorrow he'd be much farther away with his Firebolt up in the castle.**

"I'm sure everything'll be fine," Lily said instantly, her faith in her son's charms not wavering for a second. Harry had yet to actually get a spell wrong once he'd mastered it.

"Probably would have sneaked onto the grounds myself to practice," James offered with a shrug.

"Didn't know how getting caught out of bed would affect me," Harry returned, "and I'd yet to have many good experiences of it, so that night didn't seem to be one to try."

**Hermione promised that as long as he was concentrating, the spell would work the same. Then she instructed him to try and get some sleep.**

**The school seemed as wound as Harry the next morning. Whether passersby were wishing him good luck, or promising they'd save him some tissues, Harry felt too detached to notice and instead was thinking of the moment where he'd be led down to the dragons' pen. He was so wound up he'd probably try to curse everything in sight on the way.**

"Now why didn't I think of that?" Remus chuckled. "They'd think you'd gone mad, there's no way they'd force you to stay in the Tournament then."

Harry snapped his fingers with a jesting regretful face that hadn't crossed his mind.

**McGonagall came for him at lunch, and began leading him outside. She asked how he was doing, and he responded fine, but McGonagall still seemed anxious as she put her hand on his shoulder.**

Lily couldn't help but coo. She'd always loved McGonagall. Strict as she was, she never missed a moment to show that she cared about her students, and this was one time Harry most definitely needed it.

**She instructed him not to panic; they had wizards on standby if anything got out of hand.**

"Yeah, cause that won't cause him to panic," Sirius muttered, unable to stop an almost nonstop shivering. Only the warmth of the baby in his arms was really registering in him now.

**All he had to do was try his best, and no one would think the worst of him.**

"Best advice to be given," James sighed as he pushed his hand through his hair. He didn't care if Harry was sitting next to him now, fully grown and clearly having survived this, the anxiety galloping up his throat wasn't leaving him at the thought of this.

**She again asked how Harry was doing.**

"He's just peachy," Remus muttered mutinously.

**Harry entered to find the other champions all looking as wound as he did, Cedric pacing with nerves. When he caught sight of Harry he tried to smile, and Harry had to work for a moment for his muscles to respond, as if they'd forgotten how to do so.**

"Now you're just depressing me," Lily sighed, her fingers catching strands of her hair and twirling them around her fingers tightly as any form of distraction.

**Bagman came bouncing in then, calling out a merry greeting to Harry.**

"How is he always in such a good mood?" Sirius snarled with a touch more venom than was really called for. "I get so sick of hearing him say what a good thing this is for Harry!"

"If it makes you feel any better, imagine him wetting himself if he was the one to go in front of those dragons," Remus offered.

It didn't, but Sirius thanked him for trying.

**Bagman began telling them all that they would get this started soon, then drew a silk sack. He told that what they'd have to be getting past was inside, and all they had to do was grab a golden egg.**

Remus groaned and face planted the pages. He'd detested the idea of getting past a nesting dragon, but, oh, no. Now Harry was expected to grab an egg from her clutch, under her bleeding talons, because that was so much better!

It only vaguely registered when someone smacked him upside the head, but still he glanced up to see Lily with too-bright eyes as she snapped at him, "you nearly gave me heart failure! Can't you pretend for at least a second you didn't just picture Harry getting charbroiled doing this?"

Remus worked furiously for a second, but he really couldn't get rid of the expression until he glanced at Harry who was watching him with concern.

It was not comforting in the slightest that the guy they would have relied on to get them past a dragon was freaking out as much as Sirius, who was only taking long steady breaths as a simple reminder just to keep his chest moving. Both parents were a twitching mess thinking about this, so Remus bolstered himself as he realized he was the only one to get through this.

**Harry looked around and saw the set faces of the other champions, though none of them spoke. Harry wondered if they were feeling as sick as he was, though at least they'd volunteered for this.**

"Thanks for the reminder, made this all ten times worse," James sneered.

**Bagman offered the sack to Fleur first, and she reached inside and pulled out a miniature Welsh Green with a two around its neck. Not a flicker of surprise passed her face, which meant Harry's guess was right, Maxime had told. Krum's expression was the same as he pulled out a Chinese Fireball with a three.**

Remus did not miss the fact that Harry was now down to a fifty, fifty shot of getting the worst of the dragons. His mind tried to scatter to a less scary topic, like wondering which breed had been added as the afterthought upon Harry's entrance. Had it been the Horntail, the worst of the lot as an extra challenge, or perhaps the Welsh Green who was, at least compared to the others, the best choice? He didn't have an answer, and knew he most likely wasn't going to get one, but at least the small distraction had done its job and he was able to keep going in a steady voice.

**Cedric pulled out the Swedish Short-Snout with a one.**

"Of course, absolutely, that makes perfect sense! Harry would get the bleeding Hungarian Horntail, the most dangerous of them all! How could he not! Because this one f'ing time he couldn't have just-" James reached around Harry and almost gently pulled on Sirius' ear to get him to stop, but the tug did indeed get his attention and Sirius forced his tirade to cut off.

**Knowing what was coming, Harry stuck his hand inside and pulled out the last dragon and number. It stretched its miniature wings and bared little fangs at him from his hand.**

"What are those, anyways?" Harry asked dully, not really curious for an answer as it just involved more dragon talk, but the question had come out nonetheless.

Remus had to think for a moment, collecting his thoughts to something other than a fifty-foot monster in the same vicinity as Harry, before answering. "Normally? The models are used for little tasks. I know a shop in Diagon Alley uses one to roast their chestnuts. They're not exactly real, you don't have to feed them or anything; the magic just makes them lifelike for a few months until you reactivate them."

"Well, that's a relief," Lily muttered, "because for a moment I was honestly afraid those were baby dragons."

"Nah," Remus was actually relaxing now as he kept going, "they imitate real life dragons, and, yes, they can breathe fire, so they're not a toy, but they're not particularly dangerous either. Once the magic in them wears off, they vanish, and you have to buy a new one. It's more of a novelty, to have dragon-roasted chestnuts when you could simply cook them like normal, or other gimmicks that they're really rarely used."

"Well, do me a favor, and keep them away from me as well," Sirius grumbled, suddenly thankful that Remus clearly knew about these things, and had never tried to give one to Sirius as a gag gift. As Sirius most likely would have dropped it down Remus' pants in retaliation, it was wise of him.

**Bagman clapped his hands together as everything was set, the numbers on them were the order in which they'd be heading out.**

"Did Harry have to go last, though?" Lily couldn't help but scowl. "I wish he'd just gone first to get it over with."

**Bagman would be commentating, so when Diggory heard the whistle all he had to do was walk out and things would begin. Then he asked Harry for a private word.**

"Why's that?" Sirius asked in surprise, not against anything that would keep Harry away from that dragon any longer than he had to be, but that was still pretty odd.

"No clue," Harry muttered, just as curious, but somehow agitated about it as well.

**Harry followed him with curiosity. Bagman stopped not too far away, and turned to Harry with a fatherly expression in place.**

James didn't even try to smother his agitation at that comparison. Sirius was one thing, he'd take that jealousy happily any day as James himself would pick Sirius to be any sort of fatherly figure to Harry since he was out of the picture. It wasn't fun to listen to, but tolerable. This f'ing stranger, though, who had been bothering Harry since he met him, was really starting to dig under his skin.

**He asked how Harry was feeling, if Bagman could help him with anything?**

"Well, that's, sweet," Lily said uncertainly. She at least appreciated Bagman's attempts to see that Harry was feeling okay, but McGonagall had done the same thing without making it so obvious to the other champions. Why would he bother anyways?

**Did he have a plan? Bagman was trying to offer some advice.**

"Jeez, at least Moody was being subtle about it," Remus frowned, "and he did it in return for Harry helping Cedric. What's Bagman playing at doing this?"

"Is it so bad to see him doing something nice?" Lily asked without any real force; she found it odd as well.

"I'd believe it a little more if he'd quit treating Harry like a star every time he walked into a room," James sniffed. "I think he's just buttering up to him."

Sirius did not add his opinion; he still looked likely to vomit at the task to come the moment he did open his mouth.

**Harry quickly told that he was fine, he knew what he was doing, though he did wonder why he kept telling people this as he'd never been less fine in his life.**

"A terrible habit I wish you'd break," Lily muttered, as Harry said that too commonly now when it came to his headaches.

**A whistle blew, and Bagman jumped in surprise as he sprinted off to do his job.**

"What you get, you little-" James cut himself off with a few more terse mutters that in no way cut off what Remus kept forcing out.

**Harry went back to the tent to see Cedric walking out. Harry tried to wish him good luck, but all that came out was a hoarse noise.**

"Credit for trying," Lily tried to get out, though she knew she didn't sound much better.

**Harry went back inside to see Fleur had taken up Cedric's pacing, and the three of them listened to the crowd. It didn't do them any good, as all they heard were gasping and applause for whatever Cedric was doing.**

"Thought Bagman was supposed to be commentating," Remus grumbled, thinking that would be easier to think about than a random crowd reaction that could be to anything. "He's doing a terrible job of it."

"The less description of them the better," Lily shivered. "I'm going to be having enough nightmares when we get to Harry's, no need to preemptively tell me what to fear."

"Probably isn't too good at his job anyways," James snapped, clearly still rankled over the encounter. "All he does is spout off names, doesn't know how to really describe the action."

**Bagman was occasionally inserting a comment or two about how clever something had been, or the risks being taken.**

"I stand corrected," Remus rolled his eyes.

"Not hardly," James scoffed, everything they said was still true.

**Then the crowd roared in approval, and Bagman confirmed Cedric had gotten his egg. There was silence as the marks were shown, but not told, and then another whistle as Fleur left with her head held high.**

Lily couldn't help but agree with Harry in that moment. Though she was losing a shade of color with every passing moment it was getting closer to Harry's turn, and with Fleur being her least favorite contestant so far, even she could see how much it would take of a person to willingly walk into a dragon's den like that.

**It was the same all over again up till the end results, and then it was Krum's turn.**

And still, even after everything that had happened, none of them could help the mental complaint of why that couldn't just be the last time that stupid whistle was to be blown.

**Harry started his own bout of pacing, listening to the noise in a distant way as everything around him seemed too bright.**

"Adrenaline will do the strangest things to your body," James agreed absently.

**Bagman made a few comments about whatever Krum had done, shouting about how much nerve it had taken to do that, but then he shouted about Krum getting his egg as well.**

"What did he do?" Remus yelped in surprise. "Judging from his remarks, did he just charge out to meet the dragon head on?"

"Don't know, hoping I don't have to find out," Lily grumbled, now massaging at her chest that was thundering so hard against her ribs she was sure they'd crack soon. Harry hadn't even had his turn yet and she couldn't seem to find air, and it was only going to get worse when it did. After he was out of the arena, she never wanted to hear talk of dragons again.

**The last whistle, and Harry left for the enclosure.**

Remus released a deep breath he felt he'd been holding for ages, but there was nothing for it now. He could just keep glancing up as often as he needed to at Harry now, clearly more than fourteen, alive and well, to convince himself he could get past this no matter what.

**Everything passed around him in a blur until he was standing in the arena with the dragon. Fifty feet long, with black impenetrable scales and snake-yellow eyes, with deadly fangs and barbs on its tail, the Horntail was a true monster as she hissed at him, smoke already threatening to curl out of her open maw.**

**The crowd was making some noise around him, but Harry had no idea if it was friendly or not; he didn't care.**

"I'd like to think it was an honest combination of both," James muttered, thinking that Hogwarts really couldn't be so shallow to still be roaring disapproval at Harry even in the face of a dragon. Not that cheers would do him any better, but still, it was the principal.

**Harry blocked the noise out, and went to work, raising his wand and calling 'Accio Firebolt.'**

Sirius felt like someone was constantly flicking his heart, making it do several jump starts that he was sure wasn't normal, but this had been going on since Harry had been led down to the enclosure, so he was growing used to the feeling now and at least had a moment to appreciate that Harry at least had the best broom in the world under him when it came. If he'd trust one thing to help him get past a dragon, at least it could be that.

**Harry didn't have long to wait, when he heard the noise of the approaching broom hurtling around the trees right towards him.**

No one had really doubted he'd be able to pull it off, but now that the moment had come and his strategy had arrived, everything did come back to them with some clarity. They were no longer listening with quite the same loud buzzing in their ears at least.

**Harry mounted his broom, and took off. The moment his feet flew from the ground, something amazing happened: everything went silent, and Harry's worry disappeared. Listening wasn't important,**

Though ironically as Harry looked around he found the exact opposite going on, now sure they'd never been listening so hard in their lives. His father had his knee pressed against Harry's in what he assumed was an unconscious gesture just to keep him as close as possible without overreacting. Sirius was burrowed into himself with the baby his life support, his eyes staring at nothing as his head remained cocked to the side to take in every word. Lily's hand was twitching with the impulse to snatch the book away from Remus, read it herself already just to hear it all and be over. Remus' words were slurring together slightly and every time he finished a sentence he'd hesitate a second longer than was normal but still forced himself to keep going in an almost calm voice. It was almost fascinating, and extremely unnecessary, but Harry still couldn't help but watch the lot of them, his family, worry like this.

**the crowd melted away and the Horntail shrank to the size of a dog.**

"Don't you compare that thing to me!" Sirius rasped out, the first intelligible thing he'd said in a while.

James' first impulse was to reach over and try to smother his best friend for that running bleeding gag, and for cutting Remus off at such a moment, but unbelievably they were all just a little calmer for it as well. If there was one thing they knew of by now, Harry was a superb flyer, and he now had his broom. Harry would get past this.

**He was left feeling almost free as something familiar came back to him. This was no more complicated than another Quidditch match, and that dragon was just an extremely ugly opponent.**

"You're still not endearing me to this game," Lily muttered with unease, though her usual agitation at the game wasn't present in her voice. She'd take a Quidditch match over this any day.

Harry didn't really notice, as his mind flashed back to last year and his championship game, where he'd had that funny dream about dragons appearing while he played Quidditch. Guess now he understood why he'd felt a premonition about that, but he really wished his brain would stop supplying these things that seemed to inevitably come true.

**Harry dived back down towards the dragon for some diversionary tactics, and the Horntail retaliated by blasting fire at him.**

Lily couldn't help but startle a bit with nerves at the thought, her own flame colored hair nearly going on end in shock, but Remus wasn't going to pause for a blow that didn't even strike Harry.

**Harry dodged as if he were swerving a Bludger.**

"A Bludger that's a good thousand degrees hotter, but at least it can't chase you in the same way," James muttered agreeably.

**Harry started circling her head, trying to make her dizzy, and when it seemed to be working for a moment Harry made a dive, but not fast enough this time.**

Lily felt a screech building up in her throat, her hands automatically flying up to cover her ears so she didn't have to hear what happened to her baby, but again Remus couldn't bring himself to pause as he wanted to know the full extent of whatever blow Harry received.

**He'd dodged the mouth, but had instead been grazed by the horned tail, though the cut didn't feel too deep as it grazed his robes.**

"Tell me that thing's not poisonous at the end!" James gasped out between a shaking jaw.

"No, no," Remus quickly soothed as he saw the fear on all of them, "if Harry only felt a scratch than that's the worst of it."

James and the others sagged back in relief, not wanting to think what would have happened if Harry had suddenly lost temporary use of one of his arms at such a crucial time.

**Still he was forced to zoom away again and rethink. He needed the Horntail to try and take flight, but she was too protective of her eggs to get that far away. Harry had to find some way to persuade her though, or he'd never get close enough. He started zooming back in forth in front of her again, staying at just the correct distance to be close enough of a nuisance, but not so far away she'd lose interest. She tried to blow fire at him again, but Harry avoided that. Her head kept twitching to keep him in sight as she bared her fangs and roared.**

That sounded sort of like snake charming to Lily, though she was thankful Harry's gift of Parselmouth didn't extend to the snakes' more beast-like relatives: she didn't want to hear what that dragon would be screaming at her Hare Bare.

**Harry flew a little higher and now she was squirming to keep him in sight. He was like an annoying fly to her she wanted to swat, but now he was out of range. She tried to shoot more fire but still he dodged.**

Remus' composure was cracking, he couldn't put into words how dangerous Harry was playing this, taunting a nesting mother, and the fear that Harry was going to get a very real injury from messing with her before he had the chance to dive down and grab his egg kept lingering behind his mind's eye, expecting to read out the fateful words any moment. If this didn't end soon, he was going to end up with double vision and probably pass out from stress.

**Finally Harry was too much, and she got to her feet, stretching her massive wings and rearing up to come at him, but Harry dived. He swerved down past her legs, and before she even knew it his hands came free of his broom to grab the egg with his good arm. Then he was speeding back and away as the volume returned.**

The book slipped out of Remus' hands, though for the first time in pure relief of that finally being over. He rubbed furiously at his eyes for several moments until bright spots appeared, just for something else to see than that bloody forsaken print.

"Oh thank Merlin, I couldn't take much more," James groaned with an odd look of ecstasy on his face as finally all the tension building in his stomach, where he'd had his hand firmly pressed this entire time like he was trying to hold in his innards, was able to release.

Lily couldn't find words to add her agreement.

"Never again," Sirius practically sobbed, still looking more worn than the others and not feeling nearly as relieved at this being over as he would have thought: he was still too wrung up over the incident to feel relief. "Never, ever, again do I want to hear mention of those f'ing things around."

Harry tried to laugh it off, wanted more than anything in that moment to tell Sirius that of course this was the last time Harry had a dragon encounter, but the words wouldn't come, and as Remus moved to get the book back and finish his piece, his silence went unnoticed in the relieved room.

**The crowd was going more wild with approval than at the World Cup, Bagman was shouting with approval over his victory, how the youngest of them had the best time!**

"Really?" Lily couldn't help but raise a brow in surprise. Not that she even wanted, or cared, to know how the other champions had done now that she had proof her son had been fine, but it was still an odd comment. "It sounded like you taunted that thing for a bit. I would have guessed you'd taken the longest."

Harry just shrugged; they knew as well as he did what all had gone on.

**Harry watched as the dragon keepers were coming forward to subdue the Horntail, then spotted McGonagall, Moody, and Hagrid waving him down. Harry went to their side feeling lighter than he had in weeks: he had survived the first task!**

"There's the bright side," James got out in a weak chuckle, his mind already trying to taunt him with the thought of 'if this had been the first task, what are the others going to be like,' just to ruin his mood, but he swiftly beat that away and tried to just enjoy this one moment of Harry surviving this.

**McGonagall was exceptionally pale as she congratulated him, but still told that he needed to go to the med tent and get his shoulder checked before he saw his scores. Diggory was already there being cleaned up.**

"Yeesh, that didn't sound encouraging," Remus said with genuine pity for Diggory, feeling bad that he'd had the least time of all to prepare for this, and hoping nothing permanent had happened to him.

**Hagrid was booming with praise as well about how Harry had done it, even though Charlie had said-**

**Harry cut him off there to save Hagrid the mistake of revealing Harry knew beforehand.**

"Got to love Hagrid," Lily said genuinely as she smoothed some hair out of her face, honestly surprised at this point she hadn't gone bald from stress.

**McGonagall escorted him away then to Pomfrey, who was already in a tirade as he sat down about all the dangerous nonsense that went on around this school. Last year dementors, this year dragons, what would it be next!**

"I just want him to survive this year before I have to freak out about that," James muttered bitterly, hoping with everything he had the answer would finally be nothing!

**She healed the shallow cut quick enough, but still told him to sit and rest for a moment before popping off to check on Diggory who was hidden behind a curtain. Harry was too keyed up to stay still, though, as he got to his feet and made for the entrance, when Hermione and Ron darted in.**

They were all just too bone tired and weary after hearing about this to even bother to tense up in agitation for that. The fact that Ron showed up with Hermione like that must mean that Ron had to have finally come to his senses, to apologize.

**Hermione was squealing what a brilliant job he'd done, with fingernail marks in her face where she'd been clutching in fear.**

Lily rubbed absently at her face, thinking she wouldn't be surprised if she'd looked the same way at the time.

**Harry hardly listened, though, his eyes on Ron, who was watching him like a ghost.**

Remus' anger at Ron was already melting away, finally looking past his attitude and just seeing that angry boy who was sick of being looked over. He still thought Ron should have acted better, thought with his head and some slight resentment rather than his emotions, but clearly seeing Harry in such a life or death moment had jarred Ron back to reality.

**Ron began seriously,**

"Now why would you go dragging me into this?" Sirius asked, finally being able to really smile again for the first time since he'd heard of the stupid dragons to begin with.

Remus groaned and kept reading that little bit louder to drown out Harry's laughter at that joke; he really wished Harry would stop encouraging that.

**that whoever had put in Harry's name into that Goblet was out to get Harry.**

"Almost had a good go of it," Lily grumbled without any real agitation anymore; she couldn't find it in herself to hold it against Ron now that he was acting the right way.

**Harry felt the last few weeks melt away between them, but still asked with a touch of cold that Ron had finally caught on and it had taken him long enough.**

Sirius sighed and fidgeted a bit to stop himself saying something. He knew he shouldn't blame Harry if he did decide not to forgive Ron, but he hoped Harry would. Ron was a good friend who'd made a mistake after all.

**Hermione watched the pair nervously as Ron opened his mouth, clearly to apologize, but suddenly Harry found he didn't need it.**

Finally they were all smiling again, almost as happy as before this tournament had started. Harry still had two more tasks to live through, but if there was one thing that could make this seem okay again, it was that at least everyone who should be on his side was now.

**Harry told that he didn't need to hear it, and though Ron tried to say it anyways, Harry promised he just wanted to forget about it. Ron grinned, and Harry returned it.**

Lily was as happy as anyone, but she really did hope the boys would still have a talk. Thankfully Ron had chosen to be the bigger and apologized, but she still couldn't help but worry if they didn't discuss the problem then it could possibly happen again. Resentment could fester, and the next time things might not have such a happy ending.

**Hermione burst into tears.**

Remus flinched like someone had just chucked a miniature dragon at his head. Lily rolled her eyes at him and all of the boys' suddenly horrified expressions.

**Harry watched her in surprise as he said there was nothing to be crying about, but she started crying as she told them both they were being stupid. She hugged them before running out with waterworks.**

"She's insane," James said weakly, though Hermione's reaction still wasn't the worst thing Harry's friends had done of late.

"She's emotional," Lily corrected. "She's spent the past few days fearing for Harry's life and then had to live through that in the stands, and then finally felt some relief of watching her two friends make up."

"Girls," Sirius muttered with a deep shake of his head, ignoring Lily's stank eye.

**Ron told that she was barking mad as she ran off.**

"He's lucky to be using my favorite phrase after I forgave him," Sirius' smirk widened to the agitation of all except Harry.

**Then Ron dragged Harry back to the pens so that Harry could see his score. Ron instantly began telling Harry that he was the best of all.**

"Flattery will get you everywhere," Remus chuckled.

"I think Harry's due for some," James smirked.

**Cedric had tried to transfigure a rock into a dog, hoping the dragon would go for it instead of him,**

"That's really clever," Lily admitted as her mind flickered with the possibilities.

"Poor dog though," Sirius said sagely.

**but it had only worked temporarily when the dragon turned back to Cedric and gave him a burn,**

"Oh, the poor dear," Lily instantly switched to concern that he'd been caught so bad!

"Hopefully that won't be a permanent marring," James winced in sympathy. "Pomfrey should be able to get rid of the burn marks."

**but Cedric had still gotten his egg in the end.**

**Fleur had tried to charm her dragon, had almost put it to sleep, but when it snored it caught her skirt on fire, but she'd got there in the end as well.**

"I've never heard of that kind of charm," Lily said in surprise.

"Might be a French type of spell," Remus offered with the same curiosity, thinking that foreigners might have some other ways to lull beasts to sleep that weren't in British type texts.

**Krum had tried to hit his in the eye with some spell,**

"He went for the obvious shot," James nodded.

**but that only angered the beast, she'd stomped around and crushed some of her real eggs.**

Remus winced in genuine pity for those poor unborn dragons. He may not be particularly fond of them, especially after all the trouble they'd caused Harry, but it was still a sad moment.

"Guess it's a good thing I didn't do that," Harry yelped in surprise, as that didn't sound like a particularly good strategy.

"You definitely found the best way," Sirius nodded in agreement, ironically thinking it was a good thing Ron had interrupted Sirius now from giving that advice.

**He'd got marks taken off for that: the real eggs weren't supposed to be damaged.**

**By this time they'd reached the enclosure again and Harry spotted where the judges had been sitting. Ron quickly explained he was scored out of ten, just as Maxime raised her wand and an eight appeared in the sky.**

**Ron applauded with the rest of the crowd, noting that she'd probably docked points for his shoulder wound. Crouch, then Dumbledore awarded Harry nine points, then Bagman ten.**

**Harry asked why on earth he'd done that?**

"Most likely your original technique outweighed the minor injury," Lily offered with a happy smile. They were all pleased Harry was getting the proper marks he should be for his display of talent, but none of them could muster up too much enthusiasm for it either: it was still rewarding him for something he never should have had to do.

**Ron told him off for complaining as he jumped around in excitement.**

"You are most likely the only person who would say something about it," Sirius agreed with a snort.

**Karkaroff went last, only handing out a four.**

"What a cheap!" James yelped in outrage. "There's no way Harry deserved that low of a mark!"

"At least Maxime was fair on him," Remus agreed tersely.

**Ron shouted in outrage about how he'd given his own champion a ten!**

"What a wanker," Sirius scowled venomously.

**Harry found he didn't care. Karkaroff could have given him a zero, but Ron's outrage on his behalf more than made up for it.**

Which tempered off their moods as well. As annoying as all the judges felt at the moment, at least the real person whose opinion mattered was behaving right.

**Harry didn't say that aloud, but as he and Ron left Harry had never felt better. Those hadn't just been Gryffindors applauding him: when it had come down to it the whole school had been cheering him on as much as Cedric.**

Like with Ron, they really felt like that was too little too late in the grand scheme; they'd put Harry through hell treating him the way they had until it mattered, but it was at least nice to hear that they were trying to make up the difference at least after the fact.

**Charlie came over to them before they could leave, congratulating him and telling how Harry was now tied for first with Krum! He couldn't stay, though: he had to go write a letter to his Mum to tell her the good news. Bagman wanted a word with the champions before they left, though.**

**Ron promised he'd wait, so Harry went back inside the tent to an opposite atmosphere. He found the place much more pleasant now, and upon reflection, found that the wait had certainly been worse than the act of facing the dragon.**

"Your mind can often be crueler than the real world," Remus agreed.

"Where do you keep pulling that crap from?" Sirius rolled his eyes at him.

**The other champions arrived as well, Cedric with some orange paste on his face to help with his burn.**

"Oh, the poor thing got hit in the face." Lily's concern really did spike at that.

Sirius wanted to make a joke about how that would ruin Cedric's pretty looks at least, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. So far Cedric hadn't gone out of his way to treat Harry like crap like the rest of his house, and no one really deserved a burned-up face.

**Bagman came bounding inside, as pleased as if he'd just thwarted a dragon himself.**

"Still want to slap him into a dragon's nest," James huffed, wishing it had been anyone else delivering what this news was.

**Bagman quickly congratulated them all and gave them the date of the next task, then said that if they wanted some clues as to what that would be, all they had to do was open the egg and solve that.**

"That's rather clever," Lily said without any of the usual enthusiasm she'd have liked. She did love riddles and clues, and integrating the two tasks together like that was rather brilliant, but still there was always that nagging agitation of Harry having to deal with it.

"So long as it does not relate to a second egg-laying monster," Sirius shot back with still a bit more agitation that this stupid tournament couldn't just be over after the one task.

**They were free to go then, and Harry caught back up with Ron, asking for more details of what the others had done. They didn't get far, though, when Rita Skeeter appeared.**

"Where's Hermione when you need her?" Remus grumbled. "I'd like to see Rita get slapped."

"Hopefully Harry'll toss her a good curse and she'll steer clear for the next century," Lily sniffed.

**She seemed more than cheerful as she greeted Harry, asking if she could have a word.**

"I can give you several," James said with a grin that wasn't at all pleasant.

"I'm sure you could," Lily quickly interrupted before he could get started, "but compile them for later, love."

"I get the feeling you'll need them," Remus agreed.

Harry was surprised she was really so daft after all the crap she'd done to him that she even had the gall to come up to him like that.

Sirius was just worried that this would cause a relapse in Ron all over again. He'd just walked in on the source of that first argument.

**She tried to squeeze in some questions, but Harry did indeed give her a word, good-bye.**

**Then he and Ron went up to the castle.**

"That's even better than what I was going to say," James cackled.

"Hope Ron got a good laugh out of that one," Sirius agreed.

Remus tried to pass the book to Lily while rubbing at his eyes, so it took him a moment to notice Lily declare, "No, that's it." She took the book away from Remus but closed it instead of starting. "I cannot handle any more tonight. Bed, all of you."

"Yes, Mum," Sirius pouted, watching her take up her baby and head for the stairs, clearly stating the matter was closed.

James and Harry exchanged a look, but didn't argue the point as they followed.

Remus and Sirius however, exchanged a look, and though Remus yawned and looked likely to fall back on the couch any moment for his own rest, both still had wide, alert eyes.

* * *

I'm enjoying asking you guys random questions now and seeing what kinds of responses I get. This time, let me know your favorite subject, and what you think you'd be good at. They are two different things.

My favorites are Care of Magical Creatures and Transfiguration, the first because I'm just a huge animal lover, whether it can eat me or not (still a Hagrid, yes) and the second because the idea of changing something's very nature into something else is as magical as it can get to me and it's just the most fascinating class.

What I might have the propensity of actually being good at, though, is potions. I love to read, and I would patiently go over every instruction and make sure of every ingredient, but I also love to experiment, so once I got through the basics I'd turn into a Snape-like person and start experimenting and trying new ways to make the potions even better.

Let me know about you!


	22. THE HOUSE-ELF LIBERATION FRONT

I was originally going to save the opening for this chapter for the end of the book, but then I was looking at my notes and saw I already had a crap ton for that, and this really is a pressing enough question to get in now. Plus, the rest of the chapter is honestly kind of dull. Thanks for all the lovely reviews and support!

A/N: So insanely sorry for missing my update yesterday, and an even more extra sorry to say that I won't be getting up a chapter next week. I found a bad time to get addicted to a new show, and it's hard to concentrate on this when my mind keeps going 'one more episode,' so now I'm behind and I feel bad but I promise the delay will only cost us a week!

 

* * *

Try as they might, even in the face of the dragon nightmare from the last few chapters, neither Sirius nor Remus had forgotten their intentions to try and have a private conversation regarding what they'd finally had confirmed for them in Moody's first lesson. Something had happened to Harry the night his parents were killed, something involving Lily and her ability to save her son, and the two desperately wanted to try and talk about it outloud in hopes sharing some ideas would make some sense, but without the others around. They loved Lily like a sister and this was going to be hard for them to focus on, neither of them wanted the other three around as it would only be worse.

Neither of them had a clear idea what could even be said, but they'd always come up with their best ideas spitballing to each other, so Remus decided to get the worst of it over as he blurted, "have you ever heard of anything that Lily could have done to save Harry?"

Sirius chewed on his answer for a few minutes, denying that he was holding back a yawn, as he said softly back, "nothing comes to mind, and I've been trying to figure it out since I first heard about this. _Nothing_ can block the Killing Curse."

"You don't think it's just something undiscovered," Remus tried to wheedle, "not even a rumor that you can work with?"

Sirius shook his head and insisted, "not a peep, and I can't imagine how that would change in the next year. I wish we'd said something about it to Harry in the Shack," Sirius' face twitched with the most base hatred one can hold at the mention of that place before continuing and ignoring it, "but at this rate it dosen't look like the three of us are going to be in the same room for a while. Merlin knows if we even know then."

Sirius knew quite a few things the others didn't from his Black heritage. As a child, he'd questioned one to many things and if they regarded their ancestry he usually got an answer, though the vile nature of them really have led him on the path he was now. The fact that Dumbledore had suggested the Fidelius Charm for them to hide under meant that this must be the most powerful thing Dumbledore could find to keep them alive, so it clearly wasn't any good magic that had saved Lily. Then again, it had been Dumbledore who said that Harry had been saved by the love of his mother, and even back in the first chapter it had been implied Dumbledore might have some idea of what had happened, but hadn't shared it with Harry.

It was another of those questions where they just couldn't help but wonder what their old headmaster was doing to their lives. Did he know and was keeping it from them, to what end? Did he figure it out after the fact, and decided Harry was too young to know? Not unreasonable, but still information Dumbledore shouldn't even be the one to share, it should be Sirius' decision at least now.

They talked for as long as they could until they couldn't take it any longer. The vision of Lily dead in front of her wailing child was most certainly going to feature in their nightmares tonight as long as they had lingered on the subject, so while neither wanted any rest, sleep took them before either had even made it to the stairs.

James grinned as he came down the stairs the next morning, with the baby in his arms, to see his two friends passed out on the sofas. He'd known from the moment he'd left they were going to stay behind and talk about something, and he knew his friends well enough to guess the topic. The sight wasn't even that unfamiliar, in school they'd often gone down to the common room late at night to pick apart each others brains and fallen asleep down there.

Remus slept like an Inferi, dead until activated, but Sirius was usually a light sleeper so even as James tried to creep past them into the kitchen, Sirius began stirring. James only just got Harry into his highchair when Sirius entered from behind.

The two chatted in sleepy mumbles for a few minutes before Sirius shook himself hard to fully make sure he was awake before he dug in for something he knew he needed to talk about.

"Alright Prongs, out with it," Sirius sighed, hopping up onto the counter and swinging his legs around in an attempt to just look bored, but the tense set of his shoulders made it clear Sirius actually thought he was in trouble.

James frowned, struggling for a moment before plastering a grin on he knew full well Sirius wouldn't buy, but hoping his friend would take the hint and stop asking anyways. "Don't know what you're talking about."

Sirius eyed him for a moment, clearly considering this very thing, as he knew that there weren't many things James wouldn't tell him. If he wasn't talking without some hard prodding, then it was either something about Sirius himself, or James wanted to handle it himself. Sirius had just decided he really would drop it, if James wanted to be silently jealous then Sirius wasn't going to keep at him, when Ron's face flashed across his mind. Sirius had never even met Ron, but he could understand where Ron was coming from in his anger. He was more frustrated the boy hadn't stood by his mate, but Sirius didn't want somthing to linger in James if he could get it out of him. So instead he pressed, "go ahead and have a yell at me, something. I know my interacting with Harry is bothering you."

James groaned as he leaned on the counter beside him and muttered, "I'm not angry Sirius, not really. What can I even say? Fine, I'll admit it bothers me that you're the one Harry's been looking to for advice, but it's not like I'm there and he's choosing you over me, I'm just not there." The pain that tore of out James' throat even as he got that last part out made Sirius all the happier he and Remus had their conversation last night without Prongs around. He didn't need any other stress on his life right now; and since it hadn't done them much good in the end, it really would have just made things worse for him right now.

Even as the rest of the house stirred James and Sirius managed to keep up a lighter and friendly banter between them now, even having gotten it out in the open had made James feel just slightly better.

The two looked far happier than they did going in as they sat down for the next chapter. Everyone took the spots they had before, James even passing the baby to Remus again while Lily sat next to him.

It was Lily's turn to pick up the book where they'd left off, which she did with only a slight tilt of unease. Harry had just survived the first task, surely nothing too bad was going to happen in the very next chapter.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione were heading up to the Owlery in search of Pig,**

"Nice to hear the trio of names again," James smiled.

**so that Harry could send his letter to Sirius about how he'd gotten past his dragon.**

"Best letter I'll have gotten in ages," Sirius smirked, before catching sight of Harry and quickly adding, "not that I'll have any doubts you could do it even without my advice."

**Harry was filling Ron in on everything Sirius had shared with him about Karkaroff, and while at first shocked at the news, Ron quickly agreed he was an obvious suspect.**

"Didn't miss this though," Remus grumbled testily. He may have forgiven Ron, but his attitude was going to still bother him for a while longer.

**Pointing out what they'd heard on the train about Malfoy saying his dad and Karkaroff were old friends, now they knew from where.**

"Got a point there," Lily sighed, remembering back to that moment and how they'd hoped they were just being paranoid in thinking the same.

**Ron did add though that if it was Karkaroff doing this, he'd be feeling stupid now, Harry had only got a scratch from the first task.**

"Hopefully that's the worst you do get," Remus agreed.

**They found Pigwidgeon, but Harry began having difficulties tying his letter to the minute owl.**

"Got to love the little guys enthusiasm," Sirius grinned, still unrepentant he was the reason Ron had that particular owl.

**Ron had to snatch him out of the air to hold him still long enough before releasing him again, Ron still babbling about his confidence now Harry was doing so well he had no doubts Harry could win this tournament,**

"I'm more focused with you living through it, then fourth place would seem like a blessing," James huffed.

While Harry agreed, he couldn't quite seem to do so out loud, something of what Ron said lingering with him. He couldn't have really won though, right?

**he was being serious.**

"No, I am!" Sirius blurted with the proudest smile on his face like he'd just made the end of all jokes.

Lily knew ignoring him wouldn't actually make him stop, but it was still better than retaliating and letting him keep going.

**Harry knew Ron was being overtly kind because of his previous attitude,**

"Not that it's really helping," Remus grumbled.

**but Harry didn't deny either that he smiled in appreciation.**

**Hermione frowned at Ron though, reminding Harry had a long ways to go before he should start thinking like that**

"She's such a buzzkill," James snorted.

**seriously.**

"I still don't believe she could do any sort of believable impression of me," Sirius sniffed, this time James did reach around and smack him for it.

**Ron told her to stop being such a sunshine.**

"It's good to be agreeing with Ron again," Lily chuckled.

**Harry watched Pig soaring away with a heavy roll of parchment, his letter to Sirius had been filled with every bit of detail Harry could offer about his match with the dragon.**

"I can imagine that giving me a combination of heart failure and pleasure," Sirius nodded.

"I'm just glad you didn't get a chance to make an appearance," Remus scoffed, "you would have pissed yourself in the stands and drawn attention to yourself."

Sirius stuck his tongue out at him.

**Ron caught his attention by saying they should head downstairs for Harry's surprise party.**

"Well it's not a surprise now!" James threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Wish the surprise was they hadn't done it," Harry rolled his eyes.

**Ron was right, the moment they stepped into the common room they found it decked out for a party. The twins had gathered everything they needed from food to entertainment, plus Dean had used his art skills to put up posters such as Harry's battle with the dragon, and a few of Cedric's head on fire.**

The Marauders gave appreciative laughs at that, though Lily and Harry couldn't find it that funny. At least Cedric was okay for it.

**Harry finally felt able to laugh along and chat with everyone, Ron and Hermione by his side all night. He hadn't felt so happy in months, and he wouldn't have to worry about anything again for months.**

"All bright spots that I will cherish as long as I can," Lily agreed.

**Lee had come over to talk to Harry, and had grabbed up his golden egg to investigate it, then asked Harry to open it for all of them to hear what was inside.**

"Now that would have to be classified as cheating," Remus raised a surprised brow. "Getting the whole of your house to help you with that."

"I wouldn't put it past anyone else to be doing the same," James waved him off with honest curiosity of what this was going to be.

**Hermione tried to say that was against the rules, but Harry quietly reminded her so was her helping him past his dragon, too which she grinned.**

"I just love it when Hermione points out the rules when they don't relate to her," Sirius snorted.

**After more prompting from the rest of his house, Harry did indeed open the seal on the egg, and it fell open with a wail of noise. The high pitched shrieking was horrid, the only comparable noise was the saw music at Nick's deathday party.**

"That sounds like a pain in the ear," Remus winced in sympathy, rubbing at his own ear in just the thought.

"What on earth would be making that noise?" Lily asked as she tried to guess what this had to do with the tournament's second task.

"Banshee," Sirius offered with a frown.

"No, I heard that once," Harry corrected, thinking of Seamus' boggart, "and this wasn't that."

"Hard to really guess since we can't actually hear it," James pointed out with a pout.

**Harry had to struggle to get his wits about him before shutting it back, everyone now watching him with a bit of fear. Seamus pointed out it sounded kind of like a banshee, maybe Harry would have to go against one of those next.**

"I'd still take that over a dragon," Sirius shivered.

"I don't think that's it though," Lily frowned, "the tournament usually has three separate events, not the same thing like getting past a creature every time."

**Neville stuttered that it had sounded like someone being cursed with the Cruciatus.**

"You can't fight that," James shivered in disgust at the thought.

"And there's no way that would be in the tournament," Remus agreed.

**George told him that was ridiculous, they wouldn't use a curse like that on the champions. Then he offered it had sounded like Percy's singing, maybe Harry would have to go after him in the shower.**

"I like his suggestion the best," Harry grinned as they all burst out laughing at that suggestion. For some reason what George had said seemed to linger in Harry's mind. Why would Percy be a stand out at his next task though, he shouldn't even be there.

**Fred then offered Hermione a jam tart to change the subject, which Hermione did not take.**

"Why?" James asked innocently enough. "Do the twins often spike the food?"

"Rule number one of the Gryffindors," Harry shrugged, "don't take anything the twins offer you without expecting something."

"Now where have I heard that before," Lily rolled her eyes as the Marauders all smiled at that.

**Fred grinned at her, promising he hadn't done anything to them, it had been the custards he may have tampered with.**

"Which clearly means he's done something to those tarts," Sirius' smile widened.

"Unless he was trying to double cross them," Remus grinned as well. "The twins wouldn't tell what they'd spiked, so of course people would be fooled into thinking the creams are okay, then they'd eat those anyways."

"You boys worry me," Lily told them before James could continue the convoluted idea.

**Neville, who had just bitten into a custard cream, choked and spat it out.**

Causing all five of them to cackle. That could have been the joke all along of course, just to make someone think they'd eaten anything.

**Both twins laughed at his response, before promising it was all a joke. Hermione took the offered food, but then asked how had they gotten all of this? Fred quickly said that it had all come from the kitchens, the house-elves had been begging to give it to them. Tehy'd go fetch him something exotic if he asked for specialties.**

Sirius smacked his lips in appreciation. He'd loved testing them to the limits to see what they would bring him, and they'd never let him down.

**Hermione asked where the kitchens were.**

"I see Hermione's taking your advice," Lily grinned. She really hoped Hermione would meet these house-elves and see how most were treated.

**Fred at first went into all the details of it, before cutting himself off as he scrutinized Hermione and asked why she wanted to know.**

They'd been so stressed for so many chapters in a row, that perhaps they're continued giggling of anything the twins did was possibly being exaggerated, but no one seemed likely to stop soon either.

**Hermione quickly tried to act innocent, but George wagged his finger at her, telling her not to go getting ideas of rebellion into their head.**

"That could be some potential mayhem," James smirked.

"Kind of wishing we'd thought of that," Sirius agreed.

"You value your meals to much to try and put the house-elves up to anything," Remus snorted.

**Fred agreed they'd all be pissed if she put them off their cooking.**

"Unless Dumbledore specifically told them to stop, nothing would actually put them off their cooking," James corrected, shuddering in horror at the very idea.

**Neville caused a distraction by sprouting the feathers of a canary.**

Which drove any talk of house-elves back out the window and a nice new round of laughter, no one in doubt it had been the twins.

**In between** **his own laughter, Fred managed to apologize and admit it had been those creams he'd hexed. Less than a minute later and Neville had molted, then joined in the laughter.**

"Good to see he knows how to laugh it off," Remus said warmly, thinking of previous times something like this had happened and very glad Neville had never once seemed to turn bitter about this.

**Several people were murmuring in curiosity at the twins idea, as both boys quickly called to all listening ears that they were selling these Canary Creams for only seven Sickles.**

"I can not put into words how excited I am they're still on about this!" Sirius squealed, bouncing in his seat at this new idea of the twins.

"They clearly have a gift for it," Lily agreed.

**They went up to bed much later, and as Harry was laying down in his bed he pulled out his miniature Horntail and placed it on his bedside cabinet.**

"Wait, so you kept that little dragon!?" Sirius asked in disgust.

"Yes," Harry shrugged, "but he ran away that night. I don't really know where he went either, I always wondered if Crookshank's ate him."*

"I hope so," Sirius muttered, while Remus went a little wide eyed and demanded:

"Did you say a dragon got loose in your common room, and you never reported it, or even looked for it!?"

Harry looked honestly confused as he asked, "Ah, no. Why would I?"

Lily suddenly released a burst of laughter and gasped, "Oh Merlin, I'm just picturing that thing getting out and going to live in the forest or something."

"I hate you right now," Sirius scowled at her. Even if he did know the magic of it would make it vanish after a few months, he didn't even want to picture running across one of those in his Forest.

**Harry watched it curl into itself and begin to snooze, thinking as he drifted off himself Hagrid wasn't all wrong, they weren't all bad those dragons.**

"Yes, yes they still are," Sirius grumbled mutionisly. He didn't care Harry had got past his, he still wanted nothing to do with the beasts.

**December was hitting the castle with icy winds and mounds of snow. The warm fires and thick walls managed to keep the worst of it out inside the school, but Harry pitied those from the Durmstrang ship.**

"Oh I'm sure they have it charmed on the inside to be plenty warm," Lily corrected, at least hoping Karkaroff would do this for his students. Even an old Death Eater had to at least pretend to care for his students, right?

"Even if they don't," James rolled his eyes, "don't they come from somewhere even colder? This can't be anything new to them."

**Beauxbatons** **didn't look much better in their caravan, though Hagrid was commonly seen making their stay as comfy as possible. So far he'd kept to the task of providing their horses with their prefered drink of the single-malt whiskey, the fumes of which often drifted across the grounds and made the Care of Magical Creatures class going lightheaded. This was not helpful, as they still needed their wits about them around the skrewts.**

"At least their blast ends will keep you warm," Remus muttered as he tried to repress a smirk.

**Hagrid began a lesson by pointing out that he wasn't sure if they hibernated,**

"Hagrid's extensive knowledge of these things really keeps me warm," James frowned. He liked Hagrid as a person, but that didn't change the fact he really wanted his son to drop both of his extracurricular classes lately.

**so he'd prepared some boxes for them to try out, all they had to do was lead them inside. There were only ten of them left, apparently their kill drive had not been walked out of them.**

"At least their dropping numbers is encouraging," Sirius chuckled.

**The class did not look encouraged to be trying to force the brutes into pillow lined boxes.**

"Can never deny Hagrid's enthusiasm though," Lily murmured in an almost affectionate tone.

**The task did not go as planned, as the moment the skrewts realized they were being nailed inside mayhem broke loose, and soon the ground was strewn with smoldering blankets.**

"Sounds like a disaster zone," Remus raised a brow, still unable to wipe his own smile off his face.

"Sounds like a party," Sirius agreed, both boys half regretting Kettleburn never did get these for their class. At least they'd know the end result of whatever Harry was dealing with.

**The majority of the class took off running, Malfoy and his group in the lead as they hid inside Hagrid's cabin, but a few stayed out to help round them back up.**

**Hagrid was trying to convince his students not to go frightening them as Harry and Ron were forced backwards, throwing sparks at the skrewt advancing on them, the stinger on its back quivering to strike.**

"I am genuinely certain the skrewt isn't the one frightened in this situation," James brows just kept traveling up his forehead, like he was torn between wanting to laugh along with his mates at something involving these fascinating beasts, and the ever perplexing question of Hagrid's sanity regarding them.

**They were momentarily distracted by noticing Rita Skeeter leaning against Hagrid's fence.**

"I really wish Hogwarts had a stricter visiting policy," Harry snapped. He'd been quiet and only mildly concerned about his well being with the skrewt around, at least he felt safe in the knowledge Hagrid would handle it in the end, but the moment she was mentioned his annoyance went right back up.

**Hagrid jumped onto the last skrewt then, pinning it to the ground long enough to loop a leash around it before turning his attention to Skeeter and asking who she was.**

**She quickly stated her title, and Hagrid frowned at her as he stated Dumbledore had banned her from the school,**

"Ha!" Sirius released a bark of righteous laughter. Finally, Dumbledore really was still good for something!

"I think Hogwarts needs security," Lily sniffed, "guards around the school or something to stop her waltzing in the front gate, especially as Dumbledore specifically said she wasn't allowed in."

"Guards on gates yes," James approved, "but inside the castle and on the grounds? Come on Lil's you'll kill all the fun."

'As if Harry needs any more fun,' Lily mentally grumbled, thinking it would solve a few of the problems they'd had, but wasn't going to argue the point for now.

**as he dragged the last skrewt to its comrades.**

"That should really be telling us how indestructible those things are," Remus shivered, his mind still slightly distracted from Rita by those things. "Hagrid, landing on that with his considerable weight, and it's still able to walk!"

"I really wish Hagrid would tell already where he got those things," Sirius agreed.

**Rita pretended not to hear that as she asked what these creatures where, and Hagrid told her with some pride.**

**Rita was confused, saying she'd never heard of them and asking where they came from.**

**Hagrid flushed in shock and didn't immediately answer, leading Harry's heart to sink as the question first occurred to him.**

"His answer's just all kinds of encouraging," Lily muttered. They'd already guessed sure, but his not answering wasn't improving their mood.

**Hermione stepped in by diverting attention to Harry, asking him how interesting he found these creatures.**

"Why would she draw attention to you!" James spluttered in outrage. "That's all you need is for her to launch another article soon as she catches sight of you!"

"I can't blame Hermione," Harry sighed, "I'd have done the same thing if I'd thought about it long enough, to divert attention away from Hagrid."

**Harry quickly agreed after a prompt stamp to his foot from her.**

"That wasn't necessary," Remus snorted, he knew Harry would have agreed without it.

**Rita was very pleased at seeing him again, at once launching into questions for him, such as was this his favorite class?**

**Harry agreed at once, noticing Hagrid beam.**

"Still true," Harry grinned unabashedly. DADA may have been one of his best classes, but Hagrid would always be his favorite teacher, no matter err, the interesting things he brought to said class.

**Rita asked Hagrid how long he'd been teaching, her eyes lingering on the still fearful students inside Hagrid's place and the remaining ones outside who were all slightly injured from the ordeal.**

**Hagrid admitted this was only his second year.**

"And he's off to a great start," Sirius couldn't help the sarcastic spew. "Nearly sacked his first year, clearly up to something at least minorly illegal this year."

"Got to love Hagrid," Harry agreed without the same tone.

**Rita was definitely interested now as she asked Hagrid if they could set up an interview.**

"She's insane!" Lily scowled. "Hagrid will know that's a mad idea just from what she's already done to Harry!"

"You'd really think she'd take a hint," Remus agreed.

**She wanted to pick his brains for their Wednesday article on zoological creatures for the Prophet, perhaps feature these Bang-Ended Scoots?**

"Think I like that better than Hagrid's name for them," James snorted.

**Hagrid quickly corrected their proper name, but did indeed agree this sounded like a good idea. Harry got a very bad feeling as they set up a later time to do this, but didn't know how to warn Hagrid with Rita watching.**

"Don't know what you're bothering to be subtle about," Sirius rolled his eyes, "I'd shout it in her face what a terrible idea that was."

"I knew the moment I really said anything to her she'd twist it," Harry sighed, "if I had told Hagrid not to in front of her who knew what she'd put in her next article about me."

Considering she'd most likely be doing it anyways, Harry's caution most likely wasn't going to be useful, but they couldn't blame him for trying.

**The three of them headed off to the castle uneasily, wondering what Rita was going to say about Hagrid. Hermione was worried Rita would find out Hagrid had imported those skrewts illegally.**

"Yeah, I absolutely believe that," James sighed as he rubbed at the bridge of his nose.

"Hagrid wouldn't admit to that though," Sirius reminded with plenty of confidence.

**Ron did remind though that Hagrid had been in trouble before and Dumbledore hadn't done anything against him, worst that could happen was Hagrid would have to get rid of the skrewts.**

"Worst?" Remus repeated with a light smirk. "I'd think he'd call that a good thing."

**Then Ron corrected he'd meant best.**

"Is there an echo in here?" Sirius snickered while Remus rolled his eyes at him.

**They all laughed as they headed off to lunch.**

**Harry found Divination that afternoon very enjoyable again.**

"There's something I never thought I'd hear," Lily laughed.

"Don't know what you're talking about," James told her with an almost straight face, "I think she's a lovely one."

"For a laugh," Sirius tacked on before they all started laughing again.

**They were still tracking planets, and Trelawny was still trying to insist all the horrible ways they were going to die, but now that Ron was his friend again, they were a snickering mess as Trelawney went into the details of Pluto.**

"Well that is the Roman planet of the Greek God Hades, lord of Death," Sirius rolled his eyes, "wouldn't surprise me that's her favorite."

**She tried to keep up her mystic tone as she watched Harry reprovingly, stating how some would find it best to take her class without the frivolous attitude.**

"And I would think," Lily shot back, "that you would take a bleeding hint, and realize Harry doesn't give a single care of you're bleeding predictions."

"Some people just can't take a hint," James told her with an earnest smile, making Lily give an indulgent grin back.

**She trailed off into how just last night she'd been absorbed in her orb, gazing into its powers, and whispered to the class if they could guess what she'd seen.**

**Ron muttered under his breath a reflection of a glittering bat.**

Lily had to actually pause for several minutes the boys were all laughing so hard. A combination of all the pent up stress leading up to the dragon, and this by far being the most lax chapters they'd had since Harry's name had come out of the Goblet was making them all a little punch drunk with giggles.

**Harry fought to keep his laughing repressed even as Trelawny dramatically finished with, death! She finished with an obvious look at Harry again, who yawned.**

"That was a kind response to what I was thinking," James wheezed out.

"Still didn't get through her thick skull," Sirius snorted.

**As they were leaving, Harry was complaining that it may have had more of a hit if she hadn't used the same line over a hundred times now.**

"My point exactly," Lily shook her head.

**Pointing out if he'd died every time she said so, he'd be a walking miracle.**

The good mood was still persistent enough that they all chuckled at Harry's comment, but it didn't quite erase the reminder that he'd actually had some pretty close calls that made them feel Harry wasn't exactly wrong either.

**Ron agreed he could be some new kind of ghost.**

"Your own original species," Sirius nodded in agreement.

"No thanks," Harry shook himself, he didn't like to think about dead things much.

**Ron was at least pleased that they didn't have homework from her, hoping Hermione did as he always loved not having to do any while she did hers.**

"Always something to lord over your friends," Remus agreed.

**Hermione didn't meet them for dinner though, and though they went to the library to find her, she wasn't there either. They did find Krum, and Ron at first began a whispered debate of whether he should ask for their autograph, but then he caught a group of girls doing the same and lost his enthusiasm for the idea.**

"Don't see why," Sirius stated, a wide grin creeping across his features. "I'd think it would actually encourage him to go get that autograph, go back to the girls and show off-"

Remus begged Lily to cut him off before they had to hear anymore.

**The two boys had just made it to Gryffindor tower and had opened the portrait to go inside when she caught up to them, at once trying to drag Harry back off and babbling that he had to see something!**

James spluttered a bit in shock, unable to stop the worry as he demanded, "now what!?"

"Relax," Harry soothed with his head cocked to the side, he felt nothing bad for this. "Hermione looked excited, not upset."

Lily eyed him for a moment, gauging how truthful that was, but when Harry clearly meant it she did keep going with honest curiosity.

**Harry tried to ask what was going on, but she just wanted to show them!**

**They ran off after her, the Fat Lady calling behind them in annoyance that they shouldn't bother apologizing for leaving her open!**

"Has anyone?" Sirius rolled his eyes. She was testy this year.

**She'd just stay here wide open until they got back.**

"Fairly certain she's not allowed to do that," Remus snorted.

**Hermione dragged them all the way back through the castle, down to where the Hufflepuffs came up for their meals.**

"Ooh," the Marauders said in understanding, though they remained just as confused as before. Hermione must have found the kitchen, and the house-elves, but that really didn't explain her excitement. Harry hadn't shown any enthusiasm for her S. P. E. W. gig.

Harry still remained as baffled as the others, but when understanding struck and he realized where Hermione was taking him, he also couldn't stop some happiness bubbling up in him as well. Something good was going to come of whatever was going on, like an old friends reappearance?

**The passage was brightly lit, with all sorts of paintings of food lining the walls.**

"I don't know how the Hufflepuffs stand it," Remus said tragically, "having to walk past food so many times a day, how can they not be constantly hungry."

"Glad I don't have to know," James grinned, "though I bet they're on the best terms with the elves out of all the houses."

**Harry realized where he was just as Hermione stopped in front of a large painting, asking if this was more spew stuff? Hermione tried to say it wasn't, but something else, but Ron laughed and asked if she'd finally changed the name to House-Elf Liberation Front?**

"HELF?" Sirius snorted, "honestly that one's not as bad. Least it would be a little harder to make fun of."

**Hermione promised this had nothing to do with that, she just wanted to show Harry something.**

Harry was watching them all curiously, but clearly they had no more idea than him what was so exciting Hermione was going on about it.

**She turned back to the picture of fruit, tickled a pair, and a handle appears which she quickly wrenched open and pushed Harry inside.**

**Harry only got a glimpse of the enormous kitchen, with all sorts of cooking supplies and a warm fireplace,**

"Ah that brings back the best memories," Sirius' grin kept stretching wider.

"That place was as familiar to us as the Forest by the end of our first year," James agreed.

**when something tackled him around the middle, squealing about Harry Potter!**

Lily blinked down at the pages in shock as her mind try to process what elf would be down in the kitchens squealing over Harry, none of them should have even met him.

When she looked up at Harry to see if he had any ideas, she saw him blinking in shock, his mouth flopping uselessly, and though she had a curious idea as the only elf this could be, she still read.

**Harry glanced down at the elf hugging the life out of his middle as he gasped out Dobby.**

"Wh-what!" Sirius spluttered, his face quickly flipping from shock to outrage the fastest. Despite his pleasure in the justice Dobby had dished out to Malfoy, Sirius still held no love for the critter that had genuinely tried to maim Harry at some point.

"I knew it!" Harry yelped in relief, clearly noticing no such feelings pouring off of his godfather. "I just knew I'd run into Dobby again! What on earth do you think he's doing there?"

"Best guess?" Remus offered indulgently at Harry's clearly laughing features. "Dumbledore might have hired him. Last we heard he was looking for a paying job, Dumbledore would be the first in mind to indulge in such things."

"I think that's brilliant," Lily agreed, ignoring the still flabbergasted James and stone faced Sirius.

**Dobby agreed it was indeed him as he released Harry and stepped back so that he could properly see him. Dobby still had the same features as the last time Harry had seen him, but looked much different in the clothes.**

"Yeah, like the fact that he's wearing clothes," James chuckled as he shook off his own disbelief.

**He'd done an even more odd job of putting together an outfit than most wizards at the World Cup.**

"And that's saying something," Lily giggled.

**Wearing a tea cozy for a hat, a tie with horseshoes over a bare chest, kids soccer shorts, and one black sock Harry identified as the one he'd given the elf to earn this freedom, plus the other which was orange and pink stripped.**

Sirius couldn't keep it up any longer, he cracked and started snickering with the rest of all the garments, but Sirius' was still tinged with unease. Last time Harry had been in danger, Dobby hadn't exactly been helpful. This year Harry was actually in more danger than he had back in his second year, and Sirius was kind of terrified what the little elf would do when he found out this time.

**Harry asked what Dobby was doing here, and Dobby squealed his excitement that he was working for Dumbledore now, he and Winky!**

"And Winky?" James did a double take in surprise.

"I never thought about it," Remus cocked his head to the side, "but what does happen to house-elves when they get sacked. When Harry said he knew he'd see Dobby again I didn't think about it much, but Winky?"

"Honestly, I don't think anyone has a clue," Sirius shrugged absently. "It's so rare to even fire one, what Crouch did really was an extreme."

Harry finally noticed Sirius' disinterest in Dobby, and frowned slightly at him. He'd really been hoping that Sirius had officially gotten over his hatred of Dobby, but clearly he wasn't fond of him either. At least he wasn't spouting death threats again, yet.

**They were surprised to hear about Winky as well, so Dobby led them over to see for themselves.**

**Winky was sitting on a stool in front of the fire, also wearing clothes, but unlike Dobby's odd put together Winky's matched well with a blue skirt and matching blouse.**

"So elves do have a sense of clothing," Lily giggled, her fondness for Dobby managing to increase as she realized he just enjoyed standing out.

**However, Dobby's were so well cared for they all looked new, Winky's were stained and burned in several places.**

"Ooph," Remus winced for the poor thing. He couldn't even begin to imagine what would be going through an elves mind at being separated from a master they'd so clearly loved. Hopefully Winky's state would impress upon Hermione what most elves were really like, freedom did nothing good for them.

**Harry greeted her kindly, but she merely burst into tears.**

"I feel like that happens frequently," James cringed at the idea of a girl, even a female house-elf, crying.

**Hermione tried to comfort the little thing, but Dobby took no notice and kept beaming up at Harry, asking if he'd like some tea, having to speak a little louder over Winky's cries.**

"Oh that sounds lovely," Sirius managed to chuckle amidst all the still strained faces at hearing about Winky.

**Harry agreed, and almost instantly six elves appeared with a platter of treats and fresh tea.**

"Do they just have all that in waiting?" Harry asked in surprise.

"It's prepared in advance, and then kept magically at temperature in case Dumbledore, or any of the staff, ever have a call for it," Remus shrugged.

**Ron was impressed at once as he took some, but Hermione just frowned and declined.**

**Harry asked Dobby how long he'd been here, and Dobby said it was his first week.**

"Ah, well at least I feel slightly better," Sirius muttered under his breath. He gained stunned looks from the others as they finally guessed where his mind had been, but Sirius just shrugged and really did relax back. He hadn't been able to help it though, if there was something powerfully magical enough to con the Goblet, he'd put money on a house-elf. Dobby had done some pretty deranged things in his stride to help Harry before. Clearly though, Dobby really hadn't anything to do with this.

The others wanted to call him out on such a strange train of thought to them, but Harry was so relieved to see Sirius didn't look so uptight at the mention of Dobby anymore he pleadingly waved his mother on, who heeded him.

**Dobby had come to speak to Dumbledore, because he hadn't been able to find a position anywhere else. It's very difficult for a dismissed elf to find more work.**

**Winky's volume continued to increase at that reminder.**

"I can imagine that being a sore spot for her," Remus winced, kind of wishing Dobby would take this conversation elsewhere as it was clearly upsetting the poor thing.

**Dobby kept going with his explaining, saying everyone he'd talked to just shut the door in his face when he said he wanted paying for his work now. The elves that had been helping them started to edge away from Dobby at his saying that, like they thought he was being rude.**

"To them it is," James agreed.

**Hermione was happy for Dobby though, praising him for being like this. Dobby gave her a happy smile as he agreed, but reminded that all the other wizards had been much ruder about it.**

"Ooh that poor thing," Lily frowned.

"What was he charging?" Sirius suddenly started smirking. "I honestly might have taken him up just to piss off me own. Kreacher would go mad if he had competition, well more barking."

The boys laughed along, even Harry not because he found it funny, in fact every time Sirius mentioned Kreature lately he got a nasty twist inside his innards, but just happy to see Sirius had quickly jumped right back to his old joking ways.

**Dobby liked his work, but he wanted to wear his clothes, because Dobby liked being free.**

"Anyone would love being free after living with the Malfoy's their whole life," Remus shuddered in full agreement.

**The Hogwarts house-elves had now started edging away from Dobby, as though he were carrying something contagious.**

"Doesn't seem to be gaining him many friends though," Lily frowned in sorrow for the poor thing.

"Like he cares," James scoffed, "most house-elves don't care about friends, Hogwarts is actually unique in having more than two on hand. Like Dobby said, they live for their work, so long as he's getting that he'll be more than happy."

**Winky just kept up her crying as Dobby mentioned having gone to visit her and finding out she was free as well, to which the girl threw herself off her stool and began beating the ground in misery.**

Lily was fidgeting terribly as she kept going, the worst feeling was that she didn't even know how to help Winky. She had no idea how to go comforting any elf, she'd never heard of one in this state! It was not a comfortable feeling for Lily who had always strived to help as many of those around her.

**Hermione dropped to the ground beside her, still trying to comfort her, while Dobby continued with a bright smile of Winky's screeching.**

Sirius really couldn't stop the uncontrollable shaking of his shoulders as he imagined this scene, Dobby just ignoring the fact that Winky was having a breakdown and just chatting casually with Harry.

**It was then Dobby had the idea of where two elves could find work, Hogwarts of course. Dumbledore had been more than willing to pay Dobby for his work, a Galleon a week and one day a month off.**

"Ouch," Remus winced, "didn't expect Dumbledore to cheap him so much."

"I don't think I'll blame him for that," James disagreed with a curious look, "think about this, it's the first time I've ever heard of a house-elf even being paid, maybe what would be considered normal for us would give the little guy a coronary. He'll most likely build up to it, I hope," he concluded, waving Lily on curiously.

**Hermione was shocked at such low wages, but Dobby quickly disagreed and said it had been him beating Dumbledore down from his original offer of ten Galleons a week and weekends off. Dobby shivered in fear at the very idea of so much riches.**

"There you have it," James smile turned downright smug at having guessed this.

"Wipe that look off your face, it's not that hard to work out," Sirius snickered with no force.

**Dobby liked being paid, but he liked his work more.**

**Hermione kindly asked if Winky was getting the same,**

"Eesh, this isn't going to go well," Remus winced. If Winky was losing her mind over talking about this, he couldn't imagine discussing such other things like paying would help.

**but then Winky switched. She stopped crying, but looked to Hermione with outrage. Winky was properly ashamed of being dismissed and would be doing no such thing as pay.**

"There's the typical attitude," Sirius nodded, wiping his brow as if relieved the world still worked right.

"I still don't get it," Lily grumbled. "Crouch was horrible to her, what's she got to be so upset about?"

"Their minds don't work like that," James gently reminded. They'd gone over this a bit, so he didn't press his point, and neither did Lily.

**Hermione was shocked at her, stating Crouch had been terrible and Winky should be happy, but Winky wouldn't hear it as she pressed her hands over her ears.**

Lily still couldn't help but mutter a few bitter 'brainwashed,' comments in between reading that.

**Dobby explained for them Winky was having troubles adjusting, she still didn't realize she could say anything she wanted about her old master.**

**Harry asked in surprise that house-elves couldn't do this.**

"You haven't figured that out," James shook his head. "Remember how Dobby acted the last time he almost spoke ill of the Malfoys, and they're the definition of bad wizards."

"I was just confirming for all of them, not just Dobby," Harry defended.

**Dobby quickly agreed they weren't allowed to do this at all very seriously.**

"Never had a house-elf try to be me," Sirius smiled, ducking on instinct when James made to swing at him again.

**It was part of the house-elf law that they were never to speak ill of their masters. Dumbledore hadn't forced this though, he'd told Dobby he could call him a barmy old codger if he liked.**

"I think he's been called worse recently," Remus chuckled, "but he's got a point."

**Dobby gave a frightened giggle at the very idea before quickly saying he had no want to do so, Dobby loved working for Dumbledore and was happy to keep his secrets.**

"Most people would for him," Sirius muttered with a frown starting to edge out his good mood, he didn't want to think what all secrets Dumbledore was hiding.

**Harry couldn't stop a smile himself as he reminded that Dobby could say whatever he liked about the Malfoys now.**

"This could get fun," James still stayed in an optimistic mood, he didn't want this good chapter to be ruined just because of Dumbledore.

**Fear crept into Dobby's eyes as he agreed he could do this, if he wished. Dobby even squared his shoulders and admitted that the Malfoy's were bad Dark wizards.**

"Well it's a start," Remus indulged.

"Give it a few more years and he might even call them really bad Dark wizards," Sirius rolled his eyes.

**Dobby seemed to realize what he'd said though, and rushed to the nearest wall and began beating himself over the head for it.**

"Oh that poor thing!" Lily groaned. Even freed of those Malfoys, poor Dobby was still forced to act like that.

"I'll stop him," Harry said with confidence, he'd had plenty of practice.

**Harry had experience with Dobby doing this though, so quickly seized him and didn't let go until Dobby stopped. Dobby thanked Harry, admitting it was still hard to do so, but Harry encouraged he'd get better with practice.**

"And I'm sure Harry'll be happy to help," James grinned.

**Winky was furious at the pair of them, telling Dobby off for speaking like that about his masters.**

"I think not," Remus sniffed. "If we have them enslaved, the least they should be able to do is speak their minds."

"You keep that in mind if you ever meet mine," Sirius rolled his eyes in disgust.

**Dobby stated back that they weren't his masters anymore!**

**Winky glared at him as she called him a bad elf, then bemoaned her poor Mr. Crouch. What would he be doing without her! Her family had always belonged to the Crouch's, her mother and her grandmother, oh what would they say to bad Winky!**

"Wonder why they've had all females," Lily asked.

"Some just prefer a gender," Sirius shrugged when he realized he was expected to answer, "I'm sure it doesn't actually have any diffrence."

**Hermione tried to be firm with Winky, telling her it was Crouch's own fault and he was doing just fine without her.**

**Winky slightly perked up at the information someone had seen Crouch, and Hermione agreed he'd been coming around because of the tournament, he and Bagman.**

**Winky looked very angry at the mention of Bagman, stating Crouch had told her all about that bad wizard.**

"Well that was extreme," Remus cocked his head.

"I don't like him much anymore," James agreed, "but he's irking me. What has Crouch had to say about him?"

"Guess Winky took Crouch's complaints about how he runs his department literally," Lily offered with a shrug.

Harry couldn't help disagreeing with them, he really felt like there was something he was missing about Bagman, something Crouch would know about, and he really hoped Winky would elaborate on this.

**Harry tried to ask what she meant, but Winky refused to speak anymore, saying she would keep her master's secrets, then started sobbing again. Dobby didn't seem to notice as he chatted with them some more about what he planned to do with his wages.**

"What would house-elves even do with their money," Sirius suddenly asked as the idea had never occurred to him.

"You ask just as I'm fixing to read," Lily rolled her eyes at him.

**Dobby had plans to buy a sweater next. Ron heard this, and seemed to have decided to taking a liking to Dobby,**

"He grows on you," James agreed while Sirius still tried to deny that was getting more true the more Dobby showed up.

**and offered his Christmas jumper, so long as Dobby didn't mind maroon.**

"Well that was sweet," Remus grinned.

"Though sort of agitating," Lily grumbled, his mum probably went through a lot to make those and Ron was always complaining about them and now he was just giving it away. At least it was for a good reason.

**Dobby couldn't have been more pleased as Ron agreed they'd have to shrink it a bit, but it would go with his tea cozy.**

"There's a sentence you don't get to hear much," Sirius grinned.

**They made to leave then, the other elves popping back up and trying to give them more sweets. Hermione refused, but the boys stuff their pockets.**

"Never had a more memorable flashback to my school years," James beamed.

"This ought to become a regular occurrence now," Sirius agreed.

**Harry called a goodbye to Dobby, who quickly asked if Dobby could come visit Harry, which Harry agreed at once.**

"Aww, I honestly can't wait," Lily beamed, at least there was something good to look forward to.

**Ron was laughing as they left about the twins, who'd always made it seem like a task to get stuff from the kitchens, but they all but gave it away.**

**Hermione wasn't really listening as she said what a good thing it was for the other elves to have Dobby around. They'd see how happy he was and realize they wanted the same.**

"I, yeah no I can't picture that one bit," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"They'll treat Winky with more respect than him," James agreed, "and she's in disgrace, but at least she's embracing it."

"In fact hopefully this'll help Hermione more than anyone," Remus added hopefully, "she'll realize Dobby's the odd one of his bunch, maybe look into the ideologies and mindsets of the common house-elf and see how much damage she could do with this running group of hers."

**Harry hoped they wouldn't take a long look at Winky instead.**

**Hermione tried to insist that she'd just cheer up once the shock wore off.**

"It's already been how many months," Sirius raised an odd brow at Hermione, "I think she's fooling herself."

**Harry wondered what Winky's, and Crouch's, problem with Bagman could be. Hermione offered it may have something to do with Crouch complaining about how Bagman ran his department.**

**Ron scoffed he'd rather work for Bagman than Crouch, at least the first had a sense of humor.**

"A good point I can't deny," Sirius nodded along. He was an annoying bugger when he came to Harry, but still leagues better than Crouch.

**Hermione laughed as she told Ron not to go letting Percy hear him saying that.**

**Ron agreed Percy wouldn't work for anyone who could take a joke, since he wouldn't recognize one if it danced naked in front of him in Dobby's tea cozy.**

Causing one last release of laughter in the room, a very good omen for how this morning was going as Lily passed James the book.

* * *

*Was anyone else insanely disappointed when this thing was never mentioned again. I think it would have been adorable, or at least had a few funny moments if it had just popped once or twice again.


	23. THE UNEXPECTED TASK

So much thanks to my beta, Scaehime!

As always, xiaoweisan asks the best of the best questions which I still refuse to answer because I plan on having a full on chapter detailing those kinds of topics, but fear not, all will be answered in the end!

* * *

James still had a brilliantly happy smile in place as he began. This tournament was far from over, but the longer the break in between task times the better in his opinion, as all he really wanted to be hearing was his son having a normal and fun-filled life at school. Now he'd finally discovered where the kitchens were, it was a great omen to other things looking up.

**A sharp voice was calling for Potter and Weasley to pay attention!**

"Now what are you up to?" Lily giggled. Some teacher telling them off sounded like a field day compared to whatever else had been going on.

Harry had a smile on his face, not entirely sure as he could hear McGonagall saying that with clarity several times.

 **McGonagall's** **voice had snapped back to where Harry and Ron were in the back of the class, making both boys jump.**

"Don't need to have that described," Sirius' grin was still widening, "that's one of the most common things to happen around us."

"How you lot always managed to stay on her bad side and still manage to have the best grades in that class I'll never know," Lily rolled her eyes fondly.

**Their lesson was over for the day, and the two had been amusing themselves with a pair of fake wands from Fred and George, Ron fighting with a parrot, Harry a haddock.**

"Never had the pleasure of doing that though," Remus snickered.

"Parrot versus fish," James smirked, "I think Ron was winning."

"We didn't know what they'd change into until after," Harry chuckled.

"Don't knock Harry's skill to improvise," Sirius wagged his finger at James.

**McGonagall was addressing the rest of the class now, saying she could move on now that they were acting their age.**

"Hurtful," Sirius spluttered with his hand to his heart.

"As if you haven't heard far worse," Lily shook her head at the lot of them, who seemed to find this far too funny.

**Harry's haddock chose that moment to let its head fall to the floor: Ron's bird had just severed it the moment they'd been called out.**

"Called it!" James whooped, throwing his hands in the air in victory, then holding his hand out expectantly to Sirius, who quickly smacked it away and reminded, "we didn't place money down, would you shove it."

**McGonagall began telling them all about the approaching Yule Ball,**

"Oh shit!" Remus yelped with quite a look crossing his face.

"Do I even want to know what that is?" Harry groaned as he watched those around him go from wide-eyed shock, to genuine laughter.

"It explains why you were assigned dress robes," Lily got out around twitching lips.

"I forgot about that," James said honestly, his eyes swimming with all the anticipation of fun this could be.

"So, no then," Harry grumbled when he realized no one was going to answer.

**which was a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament and a chance for them all to interact with their foreign guests. This ball,**

"You mean she meant like, a dancing ball," Harry groaned when understanding came to him.

"That's right, pup," Sirius nodded along in pure joy for what he was already hoping to hear. So far any mention of Harry around girls had been a hoot. This promised to be just as much fun judging by his already red-tinged face.

"Well, I don't want to go," Harry insisted at once. "I've never been to anything like this; why would I start now?"

"It's traditional of the champions," Lily pointed out, a slight agitation at that fact making this slightly less fun, but not completely. "You're going to have to make an appearance."

Harry slammed back against his seat, his face buried in his hands in mutinous protest of this, which only caused another round of laughter.

**would be open to fourth years and above, though younger students could be invited. Lavender and Parvati began giggling, much to Harry's displeasure as McGonagall said nothing to them.**

"Agreed, you two were even being silent about it," Sirius nodded along for Harry's benefit.

Harry still wouldn't look up. One moment of agreement wasn't going to make up for the laughter he could still hear in everyone's voice.

**McGonagall was still addressing that dress robes were to be worn, and this would be happening Christmas Day, and the time frame of it. She hesitated for a moment before continuing, saying that this was a chance for them to ah, let their hair down-**

**Lavender began giggling harder than ever, but at least this time Harry got the joke. Their head of house always wore her hair in such a tight bun, it was hard to imagine her doing anything of the sort.**

"I don't know," James' grin kept getting wider until he was sure it would get stuck that way, and he cared nothing. "I've seen her get pretty fast and loose when it came to her Quidditch. I like to think she'd relax a bit around other things as well."

"Remember that time we had our beds soaring through the corridors?" Remus reminded with an old smile. "She actually sat there and debated with us for an hour about the technicalities of the no students out of bed rule, and didn't even punish us when she made us go back."

"One of the most memorable loopholes you've found," Sirius hadn't kept a straight face this whole chapter and knew he wasn't going to any time soon.

**McGonagall was still going sharply, saying this did not mean that they were going to be acting like idiots! Her Gryffindors were still to be expected to hold Hogwarts standards, and she would be seriously displeased to hear otherwise.**

"As far as she knows I'm still on the run," Sirius said with the most wide eyed of innocence, "so I don't see how she's going to get me to be displeased about much of anything."

"Why do a joke that's not funny," Remus groaned with far more indulgence than he'd meant to, but they were all in too good a mood to really be annoyed this time.

"Because it's funny and you know it," Sirius insisted with a knowing smirk, especially because Harry still laughed every single time.

**They were dismissed from class then, but Harry was called back for a private word.**

"Oh boy," James rolled his eyes, always having a bad feeling now when Harry was singled out.

**Harry thought this had to do with his decapitated fish,**

"Please, I'll bet Neville's made more minor disturbances," Lily scoffed, that really wasn't that bad.

"Besides, she would have had Ron stay as well," James agreed; at least their old head of house wasn't biased.

**went back up to face her. She began by informing Harry that he and his partner-**

**but Harry cut off in surprise what partner?**

Cue another round of unnecessary insane giggling on everyone but Harry's part, who was seriously considering strangling the lot of them.

**McGonagall watched him for a moment like she thought he was being funny,**

"That's the best part," Remus at least tried to muffle his chuckles while he spoke, "he's not got a clue."

**before continuing his dance partner and he would be opening for the Yule Ball along with the rest of the champions.**

**Harry spluttered in surprise he didn't dance, and McGonagall returned oh yes he did.**

Sirius had his fist stuffed in his mouth in attempts to muffle himself so that James wouldn't stop, leaving whatever he wanted to say null and void.

**That's why she was speaking to him now, to inform him he'd be a part of the opening dance as part of the tradition.**

**Harry's mind offered up the image of himself in coat tails and a top hat, dancing with a woman in one of Petunia's frilly dresses.**

"You and your vivid imagination," Lily told him fondly, though he really wasn't that far off.

**He flat out stated he was not dancing.**

**McGonagall told him right back that yes he was, as a Hogwarts champion it was as much his obligation as the Tournament.** **Harry still tried to protest, but McGonagall wasn't hearing it.**

"No sympathy on her part whatsoever," James shook his head in pity for his poor boy.

"What would you have her do," Remus tried to demand, though his quivering voice already gave away how the end of this was coming, "give the Gryffindors dance lessons?"

Sirius genuinely lost it and laughed mercilessly at the thought, but James was not going to let the joke go that easily, his eyes suddenly lighting in a whole new mischievous light. "It's not like it's a bad idea. Can you imagine Sprout and Flitwick, each house would have their own-"

He couldn't get much farther when his wife collapsed into giggles as well; she was trying to clamp her hand over her mouth so hard that she looked like she was trying to smother herself. James had an indulgent smile in place as he began to ask her what was so funny, but then he did a quick head count and realized who he'd left out intentionally on principle, but then he too lost any sensibility.

It took no time at all for Harry and Remus to realize, and join in. Sirius was left doubled over and wheezing by the time everyone tried to calm back down, complaining without a drop of ire, "I can't breathe."

"Well, good," Lily told him primly, her own shoulders still shaking slightly, "maybe now we can go five minutes without hearing your stupid commentary."

"You love my stupid commentary," Sirius shot back at once, then his face twitched with the force of his own stupid comment as he realized what he said.

James had to work furiously for a few moments until his voice came out in any sort of intelligible before he could continue.

**Last week Harry would have rather been given the task to find a dance partner than face the Hungarian Horntail.**

"And I fully agree with you," Sirius nodded along, some sense coming back to him. "Girls really aren't that hard once you get the hang of them."

"You would know," Lily sniffed, "you went through enough of them."

"Never someone unwilling to tame," Sirius' smirk kept widening, and James decided to keep going before a familiar round could appear.

**Now that he'd done the latter, he decided he'd rather have another go at the dragon.**

Sirius gave a forceful shiver in full disagreement, but the others at least gave another slight bit of laughter for Harry.

**News of the Ball had clearly gotten around, as Harry had never seen so many people staying over Christmas break like he always did. As far as he could tell, everyone fourth year and up would be attending, and they were all speaking about the coming event. To Harry's amazement, he suddenly realized for the first time how many girls his school suddenly housed.**

Harry groaned as yet again all four of them had to stop themselves for a moment from laughing again. How was this chapter worse than the Horntail!

**Girls giggling as they passed in the corridor, shrieking with laughter if a boy tried to stop in front of them,**

"Oh, that's pleasant," Remus groaned, some pity for Harry starting to replace the amusement. "They aren't making it easy at all."

"It doesn't help that the boys make it as awkward as possible," Lily shrugged. "It should be as simple as asking."

"You did not just say that with a straight face," James accused her. "You're lucky I'm the persistent one."

"You were an arse before I said yes to you," Lily reminded lovingly, "and even if the girl does turn them down, it's not the end of the world."

"You're simplifying it too much," James pouted back at her. "What if the bloke you wanted to go with said no to you, don't admit you wouldn't be crushed and not even want to go with anyone else on principle."

"Come on, guys," Sirius butted in with a longing look at the book, "I want to hear about Harry dealing with this."

"No, no," Harry quickly yelped and tried to push the book back away from his dad, "I'm enjoying this, let them keep going."

James had been successfully derailed, though, as he did keep going despite Harry's continued protest.

**and all of them comparing notes on what they were going to wear.**

**Harry demanded of Ron as they passed a dozen of them why they had to move in packs?**

Remus opened, but quickly closed his mouth. He'd been wanting to make a crack about the last time a girl had gone to the bathroom on her own, she'd been attacked by a troll, but he thought before he spoke and knew that one was in poor taste.

Sirius did no such thing as he blurted, "the last girl you met who'd gone off on her own ended up killed by a basilisk, do you really blame them."

Harry scowled lightly at him, honestly debating giving him a smack as now didn't feel like a time to bring that up, but James was ignoring them both.

**Demanding how he was supposed to get one on their own?**

**Ron suggested lassoing one.**

"Well, he's not wrong," Sirius said saintly, though honestly they all started giggling again.

**Then Ron asked who Harry had in mind?**

**Harry's thoughts at once went to Cho,**

"Saw that coming," Remus agreed as he met Harry's baleful look with a smirk, but Harry wasn't denying it.

**but she was very popular and Harry knew he'd never do it.**

**Ron guessed anyways, and tried to brighten his mood by pointing out Harry was one of the champions, girls would be lining up to come dance with him.**

"Say yes to the first brave soul who tries, problem solved," Remus quickly agreed.

"He should at least have a try at Cho first," James quickly pointed out, having much more faith Harry would find some hidden nerve.

Sirius disagreed and was more on Remus' side with this one, Harry most definitely had not picked up his father's confidence in this matter, nor had he been getting turned down at every step like James had at this point in his school life. Sirius enjoyed making jokes, but he was well aware Harry really had no idea what was going on in this aspect, and maybe it would be best to go simple.

**Ron had been nothing but helpful advice since the return of their friendship,**

Remus rolled his eyes in genuine agitation at that, he knew all too well when someone felt guilty they'd try to be overtly kind, and it usually managed to tick him off all the more.

**but to Harry's surprise Ron turned out to be right this time.**

**The very next day a third year Hufflepuff Harry had never spoken to in his life came up and asked him to go with her.**

"Aww," Lily couldn't help but coo at once.

Harry looked like a stunned fish, his mouth flopping uselessly as even now he had no idea what kind of response he would have given her. The expression caused some more snickering from the boys, but at least it was slightly subdued this time.

**Harry was so shocked he said no before he'd even stopped to consider the matter.**

"Ooh," Lily groaned in pure pity for that little thing, having to fight down the impulse to whack her son upside the head as she snapped, "please tell me you at least apologized and were polite about it."

Harry still looked like he was being smothered with embarrassment and didn't answer.

**The girl walked off looking hurt, and Harry had to endure his roommates mocking him through the whole of History of Magic because of the incident.**

"I'm having so many flashbacks," Sirius beamed, thinking of a few times this had happened to James and he'd been just as thrown that any girl would have anything to do with him except Lily.

**It didn't stop there: two more girls asked him, a second year**

"I'm impressed so many younger than you are asking," Lily's grin kept widening. "Normally they're the most shy." Then she turned flashing eyes and demanded, "Were you at least more polite to them?"

Harry still had his eyes deadly focused on the fact that Hickory was creeping back into the room for the first time in ages and fixing to pounce on the back of the couch where Sirius was, and trying to ignore anything and everything else.

**and a fifth year who looked tough enough to knock him stupid if he said no.**

"Well, how could you say no to-" Sirius began, but then let out a high pitched, "yikes," in shock as the fluffy, brown feline landed right behind him, making him nearly jump off the couch.

Harry laughed hardest of all, reaching over and scooping up the cat to be placed on his lap and scratching him affectionately behind the ears in gratitude for his excellent timing.

Sirius was running his hand through his hair with a grumpy scowl as he sat back down, muttering about conspiracy theories.

James had long since stopped bothering trying to read without the laughter ebbing into his every word, now somehow made worse.

**Ron tried to defend her as they departed that she was rather pretty, but Harry pointed out how much taller she was than him, he'd look stupid trying to dance with her.**

"Can't deny that's a fair point," Remus sympathized. "You are going to be a star attraction."

"It shouldn't have made that much of a difference." Lily rolled her eyes at these boys. "He's going to be gawked at regardless. Least the taller girl would get a bit more attention."

"If Harry had actually liked her I would agree," James shrugged, "but he hasn't known the name of a single one of these girls, so it would be kind of awkward if he said yes, then asked after the fact."

**What Hermione had once said about Krum came creeping to mind, about how they only liked him because he was famous. Harry doubted that any of those girls would have asked him if the same weren't true.**

"Now that's most certainly true." James rolled his eyes. "Harry's double famous right now. Every girl's going to want to give the next scoop to Skeeter they're the next Hermione."

"Gee, thanks," Harry grumbled, though he couldn't deny how right his dad probably was.

**Then he wondered if this would bother him if Cho asked him.**

"Now that's a really fair question," Lily frowned in pity.

"Even if it does start that way," Sirius offered as he tried to find a good spin for this, "they'd get to talking, and could find out they really like each other."

Harry was frowning, wondering if it would still bother him that's how it had gotten started, when Remus offered, "If it's such a bother asking a girl, why don't you just ask Hermione to go with you, as a friend?"

Harry blinked a couple times in shock, before shrugging and saying, "never occurred to me. I hope I do think of that."

 **Besides** **these facts though, life at school had mostly gone back to normal. People had stopped being so outwardly rude about his champion status, and Harry suspected this had to do with Cedric in gratitude for Harry's tip off about the dragons.**

"Well, he should," James sniffed in agreement as he hoped Harry was right. "It's at least a start."

"Well, it's not like he started it in the first place." Lily rolled her eyes at him. "So leave him be and be thankful."

**There were much fewer Support Cedric badges, and though Malfoy still quoted Skeeter's article, it got fewer laughs every time.**

"About bleeding time," Sirius rolled his eyes, these students needed to find better sources of entertainment than Harry.

**Also, nothing about Hagrid had appeared in the Prophet since his meeting with the reporter.**

"Oh good." Remus looked honestly relieved. "I really was worried he'd go getting himself into trouble."

"Like we needed any more this year," James agreed.

**They were asking him about it the following class of his, and Hagrid admitted she'd spent the whole time with no interest in magical creatures.**

Sirius mock gasped and pretended to fan his face in shock as he drawled, "really? I never would have guessed such a thing!"

"I raise your dramatics, and add disbelief," Remus shook his head indulgently.

**Today he'd decided against more skrewt work, and instead they were chopping up more food for them.**

"More good news," Lily smirked.

**Hagrid instead explained that Rita had spent the whole interview asking Hagrid questions about what kind of trouble Harry got into.**

"Guess the heartthrob story's starting to wear out." James rolled his eyes. "Starting to look for a new angle."

"Then she's interviewing the wrong teachers." Harry rolled his eyes as well.

**Harry admitted that made since, she couldn't keep up the tragic hero story forever, it would get boring.**

**Ron agreed she was trying to turn Harry into a madman instead, and Hagrid looked shocked as he pointed out that Harry wasn't.**

"Is he really sure, though?" Sirius raised an accusing brow at Harry. "Because he's gotten into some pretty barmy stuff against school rules."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Harry said, batting his eyes innocently.

**Harry said that she should have found Snape instead, quoting him from back when his name had come out of the Goblet about how many school lines he crossed since his arrival.**

"There's where my mind was," Remus grumbled even if he did agree.

**Hagrid looked surprised Snape had said such a thing, then pointed out that even if Harry had to bend a rule or two, he was still alright for it.**

"I like to think so," Lily warmly smiled.

**Harry thanked him, before Ron changed the subject, asking if Hagrid was coming to this Yule Ball. Hagrid agreed he might poke around.**

"Is Hagrid going to be bringing a date?" Sirius demanded at once with an interested brow.

"If the dragons didn't scare Maxime away, then I doubt a dance will," James chuckled.

**Hagrid asked who Harry was taking, and when Harry said no one yet, Hagrid let the subject drop.**

Harry was full blown smiling in relief after his chat with Hagrid. There was a reason he was hands down his favorite person at Hogwarts outside of his friends, no matter his choice of pets.

**The last week of term before break was coming with boisterous spirits, and loads of rumors. One going around was that Dumbledore had ordered eight hundred barrels of mead from the Three Broomsticks.**

"Half the students there can't drink," Remus snorted, "so I don't think I'd buy that."

**An actual fact that had been confirmed was a band appearance of the Weird Sisters.**

"Guess it's too much to ask that The Three Toads are still around," James mumbled absently.

**Harry had no idea who they were, never having grown up around a Wizarding Wireless Network, but from what he heard they were good.**

"Great, now I feel old," Lily rolled her eyes.

**Some of the teachers allowed for their restlessness, like Flitwick,**

"He always was one of my favorite professors," Sirius beamed.

"Probably because he told us off the least," James agreed.

"And indulged us the most," Remus snickered.

**who'd let them spend the last class playing games, and speaking to Harry about his wonderful Summoning Charm during the first task.**

"I'm sure he's been bragging to everyone it was his diligent teaching that got him that far," Lily giggled.

**Other teachers were not so generous,**

"Not surprised," James sighed, thinking Snape would more likely drown them all than allow a game to be played.

**such as Binns,**

"I always forget about him," Sirius said in surprise.

**who somehow managed to make blood thirsty goblin wars sound as boring as one of Percy's reports.**

"It's a gift he utilizes too well," Remus grumbled.

**Professors McGonagall and Moody kept them working until the very last second of their classes too,**

"Yes, but at least they're the kind of teachers you decently respect for doing it," James sighed.

**and Snape, who would no sooner let them play games in class than adopt Harry.**

"Now there's a nightmarish thought," Sirius yelped as all five of them shivered in horror.

**He'd spent his time warning them all that their test before end of break would be over their antidotes.**

"Please have Colin pull you out of class again," Remus groaned with no real hope.

"I'll even take another horrid comment about the press," Harry agreed.

**Ron spent that night in the common room complaining about how evil he was, testing them right before break.**

**Hermione pointed out he wasn't exactly trying to help himself though, watching him play a pack of Exploding Snap,**

"Got to disagree with her there," James' grin was right back. "That's an excellent use of your time, lots of hard work and skill involved."

**which was much like a deck of Muggle cards, except they tended to randomly explode.**

"Wait, Muggle cards really don't?" Sirius yelped in surprise.

"I know, it seems so boring in comparison," Lily rolled her eyes, though both purebloods missed the sarcasm in light of this news.

**Harry was busy reading one of his Quidditch books for the tenth time,**

"See, he's studying the important things," Remus snickered.

**and ignoring her as well, but Hermione got his attention by pointing out he should be doing something more useful with his time, working on that egg.**

Some of their amusement started to ebb out at Hermione bringing that back up, wishing she could have waited just a little bit longer to do so. They were honestly trying to forget for at least a moment that wasn't a problem of Harry's.

**Harry protested he had until the end of February to work on that! Truthfully he hadn't so much as glanced at it since he'd first opened it.**

Lily opened, then closed her mouth, wanting to caution her son against waiting until the last minute as it had gotten pretty bad during the first task, and he had much more time to prepare for this one, but couldn't bring herself to do it. She wanted to avoid this as much as everyone else.

**Hermione insisted it would take weeks for him to figure it out, and he'd look like an idiot if he was the only one who didn't.**

"Can't honestly say I'd care, though," Sirius groused. "Honestly, I'd refuse to figure it out on principle. They can't force me to do a task. I'd just stand there getting the lowest points possible."

"You're much too proud to be pulling a stunt like that," Lily reminded.

"Though I do think he'd be stubborn enough," Remus disagreed.

Chuckling lightly at all of them, James decided to keep going before this turned into a full on debate.

**Ron cut her off before she could keep going, saying Harry deserved a break. He placed the final card down onto his castle, just as the whole thing blew, taking a few eyebrow hairs along.**

"Congratulations, Ron, that's the grand prize," James laughed outright.

**A new voice congratulated Ron that was an excellent look to go with his dress robes.**

"I don't think Ron will appreciate that reminder, though," Remus snickered.

"I'm not the one who said it," Harry defended, smiling himself.

**It was the twins,**

"Always around for a good laugh," Sirius brightened all the more.

**who took seats around them. George asked his brother if they could borrow Pig.**

"Why wouldn't they just use a school owl?" Lily asked in surprise.

"Why do they need him at all?" James countered before going back to the book without being told.

**Ron said he was already out, then asked why they wanted him?**

**Fred shot back with full sarcasm so George could ask the owl to the dance.**

"Well darn," Remus snapped his fingers with only a mild pout. "Make sure you respond soon Sirius, don't want to stand in the way of that romance."

"I'd never dream such a thing," Sirius agreed tragically before they both cracked up laughing again.

**George adding on in duh-like tones, because they needed to send a letter.**

**Ron asked who they were writing to.**

"You know, I almost forgot about that," James shook his head for a moment as he recalled the last time the twins' problem this year had been mentioned before Harry's Goblet mess had started.

"Well, it clearly hasn't been fixed yet," Remus cocked his head to the side in surprise.

"But unless they explain-" Lily sighed;

"Which I doubt," Sirius snorted.

"- we don't have anything new to figure out." She finished.

**Fred pulled his wand casually enough as he threatened his kid brother to stop putting his nose in their business, or he'd burn that off next.**

"Ah, sibling love," Sirius snickered.

**Then he asked about dates for the lot of them?**

**Ron said he hadn't asked anyone yet, and Fred prompted he'd better get a move on or all the good ones would be gone.**

Lily couldn't help but crinkle her nose at Fred's phrasing, she didn't care if he wasn't that shallow, it still wasn't polite to say. Was no one going to acknowledge Hermione at the table?

**Ron demanded who he was going with, and Fred said without a trace of embarrassment Angelina.**

**Ron was shocked he'd already asked her, and Fred agreed that was a good point.**

"Well, he's a cocky little one," Remus brows shot up to his hairline.

"Wait, it gets better," James hushed him.

**Then he called across the common room for her.**

"Oh, this is the best," Sirius crowed with pleasure.

"Putting her on the spot has been known to work if you have the gall," James agreed with an obvious look at Lily.

"Though it's not foolproof if the woman's got brains," Lily sniffed, unable to mask a smile at all of James' wild attempts. Asking her out in front of the common room had only been one of many.

**Angelina, who'd been sitting with Alicia, looked up in surprise as she called back. Fred asked outright if she wanted to go to the ball with him, which she casually agreed to before turning back to her friend.**

"Well, that was unmemorable," Sirius snickered.

"You two put on much more of a show," Remus agreed with shaking shoulders.

Harry normally would have loved to ask for more details of his parents' courting, but he was still too open-mouthed with shock at such a display from his Quidditch mates. He'd never have the nerve to do something like this.

**Fred turned back to the younger two like this was nothing.**

"Hopefully you and Ron do take his example though," Lily told Harry fondly. "It's really not that bad if you just swallow and do it."

"Think I'd still rather have that dragon back," Harry muttered.

**Then Fred pointed out they could just use a school owl, and he and his twin departed.**

**Ron did agree with them though, they should be asking now so they didn't get stuck with trolls.**

"How is it possible he managed to phrase that worse than Fred did?" Lily groaned, already wanting to smack Ron again.

"That boy has no filter between mouth and brain," Remus agreed with a shrug.

**Hermione spluttered in outrage, while Ron gave the example of Eloise Midgen.**

Sirius cast his mind around, thinking hadn't that name come up once before?

**Hermione instantly defended that she was a really nice girl, and her acne wasn't that bad.**

**Ron pointed off her nose was off-center.**

"Oh yeah," James eyes brightened with understanding. "Wasn't she that girl who tried to curse her acne off?"

"And got her nose instead," Sirius agreed in understanding.

"Apparently it didn't come back quite right," Remus raised a curious brow.

Lily had to fight down the impulse to whack all three of them. She didn't find this the least bit funny.

**Hermione was getting bristly with him now as she clarified that he'd go with the best looking girl who would take him, even if she was horrible?**

**Ron agreed that summed it up.**

Lily screwed her eyes up tight as she snarled, "oh, please tell me he's kidding."

"He's being a prat to his friend." Sirius shrugged her off. "That's nothing unusual."

"What else are friends for?" James agreed, trying to laugh it off.

None of the boys were taking Ron seriously; they all knew he was just trying to rankle up Hermione for fun. Ron had never before really showed that he was shallow when it came to looks. Then again, he'd never displayed much interest in looks at all before this year, so maybe he was going to turn into a picky suitor.

**Hermione stormed off without another word.**

**Hogwarts was turning itself into a new castle for the holidays, the staff clearly pulling out all the stops to impress their visitors. Every hall was decked, every banister festooned, and the statues had been enchanted to sing carols as you walked past.**

"I hope those foreigners are enjoying the treat," James grinned; that sounded like so much fun to him.

"I always love the castle when they do it up like that," Sirius agreed cheerfully, considering his place had hardly ever been decked out at all it was always a pleasure to see.

**It was quite something to hear 'O Come, All Ye Faithful' when you walked past an empty helmet, though several of them had to be manned by Filch, for Peeves was known for slipping into a few and replacing some of the lyrics with his own, more crude versions.**

Causing all five of them to burst out with laughter again, even Lily. Ron had given her enough reason lately to be angry, no need to cling to it when this was a funny enough distraction.

**All this passing time though, and Harry still hadn't asked out Cho. He really was getting nervous, as he'd look more stupid than Ron would showing up without a dance partner.**

"I suppose a waltz with yourself wouldn't be too much fun," Remus pointed out.

"I don't know, could start a new trend in protest of having to invite anyone," Sirius smirked.

Harry grumbled something under his breath about this whole ordeal.

**He glumly offered to try Moaning Myrtle soon,**

Joyful laughter erupted all around for that beautiful mental image, even Harry couldn't stop some chuckling at his own mind's expense for that one.

**referring to the ghost who haunted the girls' toilets on the second floor.**

"Lovely conversation starter," James' head bobbed in agreement.

**Ron began addressing Harry on the Friday before the event that they just had to knuckle down and get it done, speaking as if they were fixing to storm some impregnable fortress.**

"And boys say girls are dramatic," Lily smiled indulgently.

"I thought it was a perfect example," Remus rolled his eyes.

**They would come back to their common room tonight with dates!**

**Harry agreed, but every time he spotted Cho that day, she was constantly surrounded by her friends.**

Harry's face was slowly getting redder with mortification of what he was trying to build himself up to do. Even if by some miracle she said yes, the experience of building up and asking didn't feel worth it at this point.

**He payed no attention in his final class, and therefore left out a very important ingredient in his potion, a bezoar, which left him with a zero. He didn't care,**

"I wouldn't either," James snorted; he couldn't give a cow patty about any class of Snape's, no matter how important the subject.

**to busy working himself up for what he was about to do. As they were dismissed, he promised he'd meet them at dinner, and dashed off to find Cho. He'd just have to ask her for a private word is all,**

"Well, if you want to do it that way, sure," Sirius nodded along in agreement.

"I don't want to know what you would have done," Harry told him honestly.

**but he found her much sooner than expected, so he hardly got the words out if he could have an alone moment.**

**Giggling should be made illegal,**

Which only made Lily begin giggling, but at least she tried to suppress it.

**was Harry's first thought as the friends around her started up at once, but Cho didn't as she politely agreed and followed Harry out of range.**

"That's either a good thing, and she's suppressing hope of what you're fixing to ask," Remus said with honest optimism.

"Or she has no idea what's fixing to be sprung on her," James told with pity.

"Ah, the start to a beautiful back and forth between Prongs and Evans," Sirius grinned.

Harry quickly pieced together that the first time James had tried to ask Lily out, he may have actually tried this same method. He looked curiously to his dad, who understood what Harry was silently asking and nodded without too much embarrassment, "yeah, sometime after Easter in our third year, I don't know, something changed. I saw her talking to this Ravenclaw who was a year above us on his Quidditch team, and something just sparked. I already didn't like him because we'd be playing him for the Cup soon, and I later realized, I was jealous," he threw her a winning smile, "so I walked over and asked for a word. She followed without one bit of enthusiasm-"

"He and Snape had already been at each other for nearly three years now," Lily butted in with an eye roll, "so I was honestly thinking he'd finally turn that kind of attention my way, not the opposite."

"Well, I asked what she was doing." He switched voices for a moment like he was trying, and failing, to imitate his wife, "it's none of your business." Though quickly switched back to normal, "well, from then on I wanted to make it my business, and well, it didn't end pretty," James finished with an old grin, "that time. At least the final results you're aware of."

"I'd been telling him he had a thing for her for years before that," Sirius said wisely. "He'd never let us pull a prank on her while she was Snape's friend even before that, though he never had a problem pulling on other girls. He wouldn't admit it until he came barreling up to our common room that day and started babbling at top speed what had just happened."

"Never seen a bloke more excited to be turned down," Remus jumped in with unrestrained laughter. "Said it was his new project to get her to say yes to him."

"Bloody four years later, and I finally cracked," Lily finished with a giggle.

Harry was laughing so hard by the end, he'd almost forgotten what was going on in his own story by the time everyone had finally settled back down from a new laughing fit and James kept going.

**Harry turned to face her, though at first all he got out was an 'err.' He couldn't ask her! He had to say something though, she was watching him!**

"Be a little odd if you darted off now without saying something," Sirius agreed.

**He still hadn't found his tongue when he managed to stutter out 'wanagoballwime?'**

"Articulation clearly wasn't passed along," Remus cackled.

Harry was working furiously with his face to try and keep a scowl there at all of their picking, but it wasn't quite masking the embarrassment of the situation.

**Cho asked him to repeat that in English, and Harry took a deep breath before repeating with the words separated this time, then mentally demanded of his face why he had to go red now!**

"Because you don't get to control functions like that," Lily shook her head sadly.

**Cho went red too in surprise, then began apologizing like she truly meant it,**

"That's not a good start," James winced, already bracing himself as he got the rest out.

**that she was going with someone else.**

"Ouch," all four of them winced at Harry's expense, it wasn't quite as funny now that he'd actually been turned down.

Harry's embarrassment at once dropped into mortification, great now he'd really gone and made a fool of himself.

**All Harry could think to say to that was, 'oh.'**

**Awkward silence hung between them until Cho apologized again and tried to leave,**

James had tried to get through that sad little interaction as quickly as possible: it wasn't nearly as much fun picking on his son after the fact, especially because James could commiserate so well on how that could feel. For all the bravado he'd always shown that he knew Lily would one day say yes to him, there had been a few times that he'd never shown to anyone where his confidence would get spotty, especially before the time she and Snape had stopped being friends.

**but Harry came back to himself and shouted after her to stop before he could cut his tongue out.**

"Oh boy, this might not end well," Remus winced, only imagining what else Harry could shoot off to make this worse.

**Then he asked who she was going with?**

"Why would you ask that?" Sirius winced. "Either you know him and you're going to hate him, or you don't know him and you're still going to hate him."

"Better than wondering for the next few days," Harry grumbled.

**She returned it was Cedric Diggory.**

"He what!" James yelped in protest.

"That swatty little, good for nothing-" Sirius scowled in outrage.

"Guess you are wishing you'd let the dragon eat him now," Remus sniffed on Harry's behalf.

Harry still looked marginally more embarrassed than outraged, for now, so James decided to keep going before that could wear off, then he'd let his son have it out.

**Harry could only absently acknowledge this as she finally left, turning back to his common room now with remorse. He'd really been starting to like Cedric, prepared to overlook the time he'd beaten him in Quidditch and was generally more handsome and popular and the school's favorite champion.**

"All forgivable enough if he's the decent kind," James huffed.

"But this was just cold!" Sirius scowled.

**Now he knew that Cedric was in fact a useless pretty boy who didn't have enough brains to fill an eggcup.**

Lily couldn't help a surprised snort of laughter, that had to be one of the snarkiest things Harry had ever thought about a fellow student and it all had to do with a girl. Personally she couldn't blame her son for thinking anything he wanted to about Cedric at this point. Yes it was his own fault for not asking first, but, really, what mother could blame her son for this happening?

**He found Gryffindor tower to be mostly empty with everyone still down at dinner, but Ron was sitting in a kind of petrified trance with Ginny trying to comfortingly pat his arm.**

Harry's high levels of agitation at Cedric and all colors of mortification at the thought of Cho actually dipped away for the briefest moment, his mind derailed and wondering who Ginny was going to go with. Why would he wonder that though? Ron's little sister had never crossed his mind any more than Hermione.

**Harry asked what his problem was, and Ron looked up at him in a sort of blind horror.**

Sirius let out a surprised snort of laughter, very much hoping this stayed plenty distracting from Harry's problem.

**Demanding of himself why he'd done it!**

"Well, this sounds like fun," James mumbled, not quite over his own shock at Harry's problem, but there wasn't anything they could really do for him now anyways. It did make him glance at the ring on his son's finger in genuine curiosity again. Did this problem with Cho work out, and she was on the other end of that?

**Ginny explained for him he'd tried to ask out Fleur Delacour.**

Causing five collective snorts of laughter at that, that had been distracting!

"Wow, Ron really went for the high one," Sirius admitted, actually raising his hands like he was going to applaud.

"Though if we've heard anything about her, she was asked out the first day," Lily rolled her eyes.

"So did she say yes?" Remus quickly asked James, trying to wave him on.

**She looked like she was trying not to laugh even as she kept patting Ron's arm.**

"She's being much kinder than the twins would," Lily smirked.

**Ron sort of came back to himself as he demanded of no one why he'd done it! He'd just seen her standing in the Entrance Hall, talking to Cedric and waving her hair around, and it had all just sort of come over him!**

"That poor thing," Lily bemoaned, at least some pity replacing her agitation at his earlier comments.

"What a time for him to grow a set," Sirius snickered.

**Ron's face fell into his hands in shame then, so the next part was barely understandable as he explained he'd more like shouted it at her as he asked her out, and she'd just looked at him like he was a slug before he darted off.**

**Harry explained for him that Fleur was a veela, and he'd probably just been caught at a time she'd had her charm on for Diggory.**

"Guess it slipped your mind to tell him that before now," James winced, though that still didn't completely erase his smile. Sure, he felt bad for Ron, but this certainly made Harry's downfall seem better by comparison.

"Wouldn't have done him much good even with the knowledge," Sirius shrugged. "Ron's always had a soft spot for her."

 **Harry told that Fleur** **had been wasting her efforts though, Diggory was going with Cho.**

**Ron and Ginny looked at him in surprise, and Harry admitted his own turn down.**

**Ginny stopped smiling.**

"Actually, now that I think about it, can't believe Ginny wasn't one to ask you along with all those other girls in the first place," Remus raised a surprised brow.

"Nah, she's far too shy," James rolled his eyes, "I think this is the first time she's actually spoken in front of Harry period, and she's not even blushing."

Harry felt an odd echo inside of him, like he actually was wishing Ginny had asked him, but all Harry could picture was saying yes to her as much as he would have to Hermione, just as a friend. Still, he did hope at least he'd try, at least he knew Ginny over those other random girls.

**Ron grumbled about how mad this school was going, though he did change subjects to the fact that he'd heard Neville had tried to ask out Hermione.**

"Aw," Lily chirped. "I can see that, she has helped him out quite a few times."

"Now lets see what Hermione said," Sirius raised a curious brow, as he'd never picked up on any feelings between the two. Then again, maybe Hermione might have just said yes to be polite.

**She'd told him no though, that she was going with someone else. Then Ron snorted in disbelief as he stated he couldn't picture that.**

"Ouch," James winced for Hermione, "was that really necessary?"

"It's a wonder Hermione hasn't knocked him upside his head," Lily agreed waspishly, that wasn't just playful teasing anymore.

"I think Ron's just at that stage where he hasn't gotten past seeing Hermione as a friend," Remus shrugged, "so he can't picture anyone dating her."

"Let's just be grateful Hermione wasn't around for this," Sirius shook his head, "otherwise Ron wouldn't be going to this at all, he'd be dead."

**She'd clearly just said that to say no to Neville, because who'd want to go with him?**

Harry couldn't help a surprised bit of laughter, which he quickly regretted.

"Now that's not funny!" Lily flared up at once.

"Ron's just pissed at his own blown up mess and shooting his mouth off," Sirius rolled his eyes, "I doubt he means it."

"Well, I'm getting sick of Ron's mouth," Lily snapped.

**Ginny tried to tell off the laughing boys just as Hermione came in, and Ginny quickly explained for her that they hadn't been down at dinner because they'd both been turned down by the girls of their choice.**

**That shut them up.**

"I'm glad Ginny put them in their place," Lily muttered with mutiny, as all the boys around her still seemed to be treating this far too much like a joke. It really wasn't right to be making fun of all these kids like this.

**Hermione didn't seem to have much pity for them as she turned on Ron and asked how Eloise was looking now.**

**Ron didn't seem to hear her, as he was suddenly looking at Hermione in a whole new way as he declared that she was a girl!**

Lily buried her face in her hands in preparation for the bloodbath that comment would earn Ron, missing all of the boys' looks of fear that Ron had just said the stupidest thing ever.

**Hermione replied back with pure acid that he was just so observant!**

**Ron ignored the tone and stated that she could go with him then- but she cut him off and stated that she wasn't because she was going with someone else.**

"Not that I doubted when she said that to Neville," Sirius raised a surprised brow, "but who is she going with?"

"Search me," Harry grumbled, still wishing he'd thought of the friend idea earlier.

**Ron tried to laugh that off, saying she'd just said that to get rid of Neville.**

"Okay, Ron, that's not funny anymore," James groaned, shaking his head desperately like he was there trying to convince him to shut up.

"It wasn't funny to begin with," Lily snapped at him, making him decide very quickly to move on.

**Hermione's temper was really flaring as she snarled that just because it had taken him three years to notice, didn't mean others hadn't spotted that she was a girl!**

**Ron watched her for a moment, before smiling and stating alright, he admitted she was a girl, would she come now?**

"I think this poor thing's stuck in oblivion," Remus groaned, "and someone needs to pull him back fast."

"Too late, he's a dead man," Sirius sighed.

**Hermione snapped that she was going with someone else, before storming off.**

**Ron watched her go with disbelief, saying that she was lying.**

Harry was thinking back to that interaction with some odd feelings now. At the time he'd been just as stunned as Ron with the way Hermione was acting, but now looking back he felt like he was missing something.

**Ginny promised she wasn't, but refused to tell who it was.**

**Ron groaned but changed the subject, saying Ginny could go with Harry and he'd-**

**but Ginny cut him off by saying that Neville had asked her after Hermione had said no, and she'd said yes.**

All thoughts of any other girls flipped away and Harry sat up a little straighter, suddenly wanting to take a page out of Ron's book and make a crack about Neville as well. This was ridiculous, why was Ginny going with anyone?

"Aww, look who's going all big brother," Sirius snickered as he watched Harry's reaction.

"Relax, Neville's a sweet kid, what are you and Ron getting worked up over?" James snorted.

Harry deflated at once, the feeling already washing away as he shrugged and mumbled something inarticulate.

Lily was watching her husband with a surprised look though, thinking back and wondering if Ron even realized what he was getting worked up over. Maybe all of his little comments just then about Neville hadn't been just plain mean. Her mind flickered back to second year, about how he'd swallowed his greatest fear and went looking for spiders after glancing at her empty seat. Ron had always had some vivid reactions when it came to Hermione.

**Then she left as well, looking fairly miserable.**

"Bet she is kicking herself, though," Remus winced, "could have gone with her little crush, but thankfully she's decent enough not to just dump Neville like that."

"This ball sucks," Harry grumbled.

**Harry and Ron sat in stunned silence for a moment, but then Harry spotted Lavender and Parvati coming in, and he decided it was time for drastic measures.**

"I would definitely classify Trelawney's clones as drastic," James nodded in agreement.

Lily shot him a poisonous look, still wishing these kids weren't being treated like a joke, but at least that hadn't been the worst thing he could have said.

**Harry darted after them, asking Parvati if she'd go to the ball with him? She at first giggled,**

"Still don't get why that's funny," Harry grumbled mutinously, still wishing he could just duck out of this thing all together.

**but she did agree. Harry turned to Lavender and asked if she'd go with Ron?**

"You're the best kind of friend, though," Sirius full blown laughed at that one, knowing he'd have done the same thing for one of his friends.

Harry felt something twitch inside of him, something about Ron and Lavender that he should be thinking about, but it was gone as quick as it had come.

**Lavender said she was going with Seamus.**

**Harry asked if they knew of anyone who'd go with Ron, low enough his friend wouldn't hear.**

"Yeah, cause that doesn't sound bad," Remus winced in pity.

"He deserves it, the way he's been acting," Lily sniffed.

**Parvati asked about Hermione, and she looked astounded when Harry said she'd already told about going with someone else.**

"Okay, this has gone past insulting for the poor thing," Lily snapped.

"What are you yelling at us for?" James quickly surrendered. "We stopped laughing."

Lily rolled her eyes, wishing they'd get the point that mocking these kids shouldn't have been laughed at at all.

**Then Parvati offered to ask her twin Padma, and Harry thanked her and to let him know the answer.**

**He went back to Ron, feeling this ball was much more trouble than it was worth, and hoping Padma Patil's nose was dead center.**

"I don't think Ron should get to go with anyone," Lily grumbled. "He deserves it for his bleeding attitude."

"Well, we should find out next," Sirius shrugged as he took the book.

* * *

Bit of an unmemorable chapter, sorry about that, especially after the wait you had to get to it, but I hope my little stories and teasing made it better.


	24. THE YULE BALL

To anybody who is every worried about it, you don't need to ask at all, this style of simply summarizing the parts of the book is open and free game and I encourage anyone and everyone who ever wants to try to please do so! If you check back at the first chapter of the first book, you'll see that it wasn't even originally my idea, but suggested to me by someone who wanted this to keep going, and clearly it seems to be working! I would love to see a comeback of reading the book style fics if we can find more ways to get around the copyright rule.

* * *

Sirius was practically brimming over with excitement as he went to read about Harry's first real date. Even if it wasn't with a girl of his choosing, this was still a really big moment for his pup, that they were going to get to hear about first hand!

**Harry was paying no mind to his loads of holiday homework,**

"I doubt anyone is," James agreed.

**nor was seemingly anyone as the Gryffindor tower was packed to the brim with holiday stayers. One recurring commotion were students randomly sprouting feathers, as Fred and George's Canary Crems seemed to have taken off.**

Causing all five of them more pleasant chuckles, they really hoped they'd get to keep hearing more about that.

**It didn't take the students long to be leary of any food handed to them by a stranger, as well they should be for some time as George admitted to Harry they were already working on their next thing.**

"Yes!" Sirius cheered, nearly bouncing in his seat in hopes for this.

**Harry made a mental note never to accept so much as a crisp from Fred and George in future.**

"Can't believe you haven't learned that lesson already, honestly," Remus shook his head at Harry.

**He still hadn't forgotten the Ton-Tongue Toffee.**

"Neither have I," Lily agreed mercilessly.

**Winter had fallen on the castle with the usual amounts of thick snow and icy windows. The Durmstrang ships riggings were freezing over, and the Beauxbatons carriage looked like an iced pumpkin out on the grounds. The house-elves were keeping spirits up with meals full of rich foods and savory stews,**

"Don't even Sirius," Lily scolded before he could look pleadingly towards the kitchen. "We've only just had breakfast."

Sirius pouted and grumbled something as a few choice dishes came to mind, but kept going nonetheless.

**with Fleur being the only one to complain of such things.**

Lily scoffed deep in her throat, and here she'd actually given the girl some credit after her handling of the dragon. Clearly her personality still wasn't looking any better.

**Speaking loudly in her french tones about how this food was to hearty,**

"Who complains about the food!" Sirius demanded like someone had just insulted his baby. "I've said a few bad things about my school, but never that!"

"Clearly she doesn't appreciate the house-elves attempts," James sniffed in agreement.

**which Harry heard her saying loudly as he passed, Ron trying to keep ducked down behind him,**

"Poor thing probably doesn't want to be seen by anyone for a while," Remus winced.

**as Fleur said to anyone who'd listen about how this would affect her fitting into her dress.**

**Hermione grumbling about how full of herself that one was, but Ron blatantly ignored that by launching the question at her of who she was going with.**

"Didn't he already ask her that?" James chuckled.

"I hope she gives an original response every time," Sirius smirked.

**He kept springing this question on her, hoping to startle her into a response by asking it when she least expected.**

Causing all five of them some more snickers, half hoping that worked as they were curious, but mostly knowing it wouldn't and just enjoying the show.

**Hermione just frowned at him, stating she wasn't telling as they'd just make fun of her.**

"Is it a Slytherin?" Remus yelped in surprise.

"Can't think of anyone else who would make her think that," Lily raised a sharp brow.

Sirius on the other hand snorted and stated, "please, Ron would make fun of anyone who Hermione went with if it wasn't him, even Harry."

"He's just having some fun," James agreed with a shrug.

**Malfoy overheard this, and laughed cruelly about why anyone would ask her to the ball.**

"And I'll bet anyone you asked turned you down laughing," James snapped back at once.

**Not a chipmunk like Mudblood.**

Sirius felt his nose wrinkle with distaste as he forced himself to say that, really wishing Harry would pull that kids tongue out of his mouth at some point.

**Harry and Ron went for their wands, but Hermione superseded all of them by calling out a greeting to Moody.**

"That timing," Lily grinned victoriously.

**Malfoy went paler than usual and turned on the spot looking for the danger, but Moody was still at the staff table finishing dinner.**

"Even better!" Remus laughed outright.

**Hermione gave Malfoy a scathing smile as she called him a twitchy little ferret, all three friends laughing as they left for the stairs.**

"Oh I hope Moody never leaves now," Remus praised, shoulders still shaking.

While the others agreed that was the second best option, they all knew they'd want one other person in there more.

**Ron though, was still staring at Hermione as their laughter settled down, telling her her teeth did look different.**

**She tried to play it off, asking different how, and Ron repeated they just were.**

"Different how?" Lily repeated in surprise, Harry hadn't said anything about it.

Harry just shrugged for an answer, he hadn't spotted anything unusual.

**Hermione pointed out she wasn't exactly going to keep those sabers Malfoy had given her,**

"It would have been a point of conversation though," Sirius couldn't help but smirk.

**but Ron insisted they were much more straight and normal sized than before that hex.**

"Oh," Remus said with the hints of a smile starting to appear.

"I don't get it," James cocked his head to the side. Maybe it was because he'd only ever heard descriptions of her and never seen her, but he wasn't sure what was going on here.

Sirius didn't either, but he was hoping the book would explain better.

**Hermione** **full blown grinned, and Harry saw it to, it was a different smile.**

"Always love it when that side of her comes out," Lily agreed absently as she listened intently for what Hermione had gotten up to.

**She finally admitted that when Pomfrey had held up a mirror and told her to stop when they were back to normal, Hermione had just let her go a bit longer. Her parents weren't going to be happy, as dentists they felt magic shouldn't mix with teeth and they'd been happier with her braces, but- she cut herself off when she spotted Pigwidgeon.**

"Aw, I kind of wanted her to keep going," Sirius pouted even though he was laughing his butt off towards the end anyways.

"Can you blame the poor thing," James demanded while still chuckling. "Who hasn't tried to use magic to fix some physical problem. At least this sounds doable, I've always wondered how many times Madam Pomfrey's had to fix some idiots attempts to use an Engorgio Charm on his-"

"Okay James," Lily quickly cut him off, "if she never told you the number, then making one up isn't a solution."

James stuck his tongue out at her while Harry tried to remember how to breathe past his laughter and Sirius moved on.

**Ron's owl was twittering loud as ever sitting on top of an ice encrusted banister, a note tied to his leg.**

"Sirius replied," Remus pointed out.

"Thank you captain obvious," Sirius snorted, "what I was going to ask was, why is Pig in the middle of a corridor? He should be waiting for Ron in his common room if he missed breakfast."

"Guess he found him earlier than that," Harry shrugged.

**People passing him were pointing and laughing,**

Lily couldn't help a twitch of unease, feeling that wasn't really safe as anything Sirius sent was dangerous in itself and shouldn't be on display, but they were all in such chipper moods lately she didn't want her paranoia to drag anyone else down.

**and a group of third year girls even stopped to coo at how pretty the little thing was.**

**Ron stormed forward and snatchd up his owl in one fist, scolding his pet for not bringing the letter straight to its recipient! Pig was still hooting shrilly at all the attention while the group of girls looked scandalized at Ron.**

"Oh he ain't hurting him," Sirius rolled his eyes.

**Ron snapped at them to scram, still holding his minute owl in his fist while doing so, who seemed to be enjoying his wingless flight through the air.**

Sirius had to read just a little bit louder over more laughter that caused.

**Once they had left he handed the note over to Harry, then the three left to head up to Gryffindor tower for some privacy. Everyone still at dinner, Harry read the note aloud that started with Sirius' congratulations on getting past that dragon, whoever had put his name in the Goblet wouldn't be feeling so sure of themselves now.**

"Thank you Sirius," Remus rolled his eyes with sarcasm, not disagreeing, but still wishing his friend wasn't trying to rub that in. Harry was still in danger, and Padfoot encouraging that was as bad as Ron.

"Well I'm not wrong," Sirius shot back.

**Sirius had been going to suggest Harry send a curse at the dragon's eye, its most vulnerable spot,**

"After, you know, he got his screaming fit out of the way, that's still pretty good advice," James chuckled, still feeling a small spot in him vibrating with worry as he remembered Sirius' reaction, or lack there of in this case, regarding those dragons. That feeling wasn't fading until he knew exactly what Azkaban had done to his brother.

**Hermione interrupted to remind that's what Krum had done.**

"Thank you for the insert Hermione," Lily snorted.

**Going back to Sirius' note that said how impressed he was.**

Harry beamed with pride, unbelievably feeling that washing through him like never before. He couldn't really remember a time from his past where someone who meant something to him like Sirius had said that to him, and it felt remarkably good. Sure the four around him had tried to do so sporadically, but he'd never let himself take it to heart, always thinking they were just saying things to be nice. Maybe it was because of the way Sirius had put it, maybe it was just that memory being reestablished, but Harry was certain that was the first time he'd ever felt like this before.

**Then he followed that up with the warning for Harry not to get complacent.**

"There's the paranoia I was waiting for," Remus chuckled, and was pleased to see James join in as quick as Sirius this time. He'd long since noticed the father attempting to smother his agitation towards Sirius the past few times he'd come up, and Harry's obvious glee at receiving such praise from his godfather was likely to get under James' skin as much as anything, but James really did seem to be trying to shake it off today.

**Reminding this was only the first task, and to keep his eyes open especially around the person they'd previously discussed, and to keep out of trouble.**

"Well you've just turned into a right old killjoy," Remus shot at Sirius, a gleam of revenge shining in his eyes as he held his hand out expectantly. "I've never heard such a thing from a Marauder, I think I'm going to need your card back."

Sirius happily stuck his tongue out at his mate for that, stating back, "never happening, you'll have to remove my hand to get it."

James was laughing without remorse at the pair, so Lily had to be the voice of reason as she cut in, "can you two kiss and make up for that later? I actually want to get to the ball already."

Harry groaned in true disagreement, but Sirius was certainly excited enough to get back.

**He signed off, and Harry tucked the letter away with a spot of annoyance as he compared his Godfather to their DADA teacher.**

"I'll take that as a compliment!" Sirius agreed pompously.

"Still proves my point," Remus' smirk widened.

Sirius had to fight with himself for a moment to convince himself not to have a poke at Remus turning on him about this, as he knew he deserved.

**Both kept telling Harry like he walked around with his eyes shut all the time.**

"You mean you don't!" James demanded, now eyeing Harry like he'd gone mad. "It makes for some great fun!"

"You'd know," Lily agreed, "weren't you the one who claimed you'd gone temporarily blind as an excuse that time you 'accidentally' hit Keramik with that babbling curse."

"A true tragedy that day," James agreed solemnly much to the not very suppressed amusement to those around him. "Thank Merlin it wore off, who knows who else I might have hit without meaning to."

**Hermione** **soothed he was just looking out for Harry, and suggested he'd stay out of plenty of trouble if he'd get to work on that egg.**

**Ron brushed her off, saying it was the holidays and they needed to have some fun, then he invited Harry to a game of chess. She agreed for now and watched several recklessly brave pawns and a violent bishop own Harry.**

"Wizard's chess really is the best," Remus agreed, though with some lingering hatred at the reminder as it was usually a rat who played with him the most often, James and Sirius didn't always have the patience to play the game through.

**Harry woke on Christmas day with someone having large eyes staring at him nose to nose.**

Harry startled like that had happened all over again, and the others looked pretty unsure as well. Was Ron trying to be funny, or?

**Harry screeched Dobby's name in shock as he scrambled back, making the elf fall off the bed.**

The small amount of fear that had appeared, evaporated with plenty of laughter now that they understood. Even Harry looked mildly more relaxed though still too wide eyed as he shook himself from that shock.

**He snapped at him not to do that!**

"Why was he even doing that?" James demanded after a healthy chuckle.

"Second time he's done that actually," Lily reminded with smile, "so I think that's just how he thinks you're supposed to be awoken."

"Well someone needs to show him otherwise," Harry grumbled as he rubbed at his chest.

**Dobby quickly apologized, saying he'd only wanted to give Harry a Merry greeting.**

"What a festive morning," Remus chuckled.

**Reminding Harry had said Dobby could come visit.**

"Apparently next time you should clarify, when you're awake," Sirius offered helpfully.

**Harry agreed it was fine he was here, still feeling his heart rate return to normal as he cautioned in the future just to poke him or something to wake him up.**

All four of them were still laughing mercilessly into their hands, Sirius having the worst problems as he tried to read around his laughter. Harry was rolling his eyes at all of them, glad they found it funny, since it hadn't happened to them.

**Harry's dorm mates were peaking through their bed curtains sleepily at Harry,**

"It's so good to hear Harry's scream of terror just roused them all to his side," Remus smirked.

"Considering the last time Ron did and it wasn't a big deal, you can't blame them for not reacting this time," Sirius tried to mock, though that memory still didn't sit right with him considering the end results, so he quickly kept going to avoid the nasty looks he was getting for bringing that up.

**Seamus asking with a still sleep heavy voice if someone was attacking Harry.**

"Absolutly," Harry forced out a laugh to try and get past Sirius' awkward comment, "and your quick asking will scare them away."

**Harry told them it was just Dobby,**

"Actually I tend to find that a cause for concern more often than not," James snorted without really meaning it.

**and told them to go back to sleep, but then the boys spotted their presents.**

"The most important part of the day," Remus snickered.

**All of them quickly got down to unwrapping their gifts, and Harry's attention went back to Dobby who asked if he could give Harry his present now?**

"Aww, he got you a present," Lily cooed. "Here I thought he was just up there to collect that sweater from Ron."

"I'm stunned he even thought to do that," Sirius raised a sharp brow. "That's not common of house-elves at all."

"As we've well established," James reminded, "Dobby is not the usual house-elf."

**Harry agreed uncertainly, lying on the spot about how he'd gotten Dobby something as well.**

"Did we miss a bit where this came up?" Remus asked lightly, watching Harry's suddenly scrambling face as he was clearly struggling how he was going to get out of this.

**This was a lie, as it hadn't occurred to him to get the house-elf anything,**

Sirius mock gasped with an affronted look at Harry, scolding, "really now, after all he's done for you."

"You're mouth's going to leave you without any presents this year," James tried to threaten.

Even if Sirius couldn't take the joke seriously, it didn't stop him responding, "shove it Prongs, don't you have Santa's sleigh to be pulling."

**but he quickly went to his trunk and cobbled together a pair of nasty old socks that had once belonged to his Uncle.**

"Talk about a regift," Remus snorted.

"Yeah, I think that was more insulting than anything," Sirius agreed.

Harry still felt pretty bad he hadn't gotten Dobby a proper present, but he had sort of just had it sprung on him, he hadn't even been expecting him to be there this year so he hadn't a chance to do otherwise.

**They were even more worn than a normal pair, as Harry usually kept his Sneakoscope tucked away in them for over a year now.**

Then all five of them flinched at such a sharp reminder of Harry's last year being brought up so unexpectedly. They'd honestly forgotten about the thing, as the last time it had been mentioned was this time last year when Ron and Hermione had been having a fight over the cat...now they came back and realized that every instance of it being mentioned had been in the presence of one foul little, certainly untrustworthy rat. They were all berating themselves, wishing they'd paid more attention to Ron's gift and what it could have meant, but they all knew they still never would have guessed the end until it was far too late all over again.

Sirius had to take several slow, very deep breaths to remind himself why he wasn't pounding down the streets right now trying to give a long and slow death to that good for nothing ruin on their life, and instead kept reading very loudly past the moment.

**He pulled his Sneakoscope out of them and quickly handed them to Dobby, apologizing for them not being wrapped.**

Lily forced out a too high pitched giggle she didn't feel, that nasty pit of a feeling coming back to her after so long feeling harder to shake now that she'd had to think about it again.

**Dobby was more than delighted with the gift, exclaiming how socks were his favorite clothing!**

"Can't imagine why," Remus muttered under his breath. He'd meant to say it louder, but had unintentionally reverted like he always did when he felt tension around him.

Lily heard him anyways, and managed a laugh again that this time was almost normal sounding.

James, looking for any excuse not to burst into tears or fire up like a volcano, quickly latched out and demanded, "and just what is so funny over there?"

"Nothing," Lily quickly tried to appease so they could move past the awkwardness of this for good, "Remus has been over here muttering under his breath like a little nit."

"Ha, Moony did that to me all the time" James grinned, eyes actually managing to lit up on such a good topic. "He'd sit there and make sarcastic comments under his breath about whatever a teacher said, and I'd laugh my arse off. Then when the teacher demanded to know what was so funny, I'd repeat what Remus said, then I'd get in trouble while the student's laughed."

Lily appraised the pair of them, before smiling and not saying a word. Honestly, she had never noticed that.

Sirius forced the biting tension out of himself no matter how much he wanted to do otherwise, at least recognizing his family trying to act like nothing had happened and forcing himself to do the same.

**Happily telling that he had seven pairs now, but then telling Harry whoever he'd gotten his socks from had made a mistake, they gave him two of the same.**

"Oh no," Sirius deadpanned, "how could you stand for such a travesty Harry!"

Harry did honestly laugh at the dry wit, the genuine noise finally cracking away the poison for now.

**Ron mock scolded Harry for not noticing that,**

"Oh lookie there," James smirked, "Sirius is mimicking Ron again, I missed that."

"I didn't," Lily rolled her eyes, "he enjoys it far too much."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Sirius pouted at her.

**then offered Dobby his maroon socks along with his sweater so that Dobby could mismatch them properly.**

Lily still had to repress a sigh of agitation his mother's hard work was just being tossed around like that, she really wished Ron would appreciate this more, but again it was going to such a sweet cause she couldn't hold it against him either.

**Dobby was getting overwhelmed as he praised Ron for being such a kind a great wizard like his greatest friend Harry Potter.**

"Least Hermione hadn't come in to hear that one," Remus snorted.

**Ron tried to brush off the praise, even if he did look rather pleased.**

"We all know he loves his attention," Sirius rolled his eyes with just a touch more ire than was called for, Ron's little attitude before still not totally forgotten, but certainly being eased the longer he kept behaving like normal.

**Then Ron opened his gift from Harry, and shouted his thanks for the Chudley Cannon hat, jamming the orange color over his red hair.**

"Now where's my picture of that?" James snickered at the lovely mental image.

**Then Dobby handed Harry his gift, which were socks.**

"You give what you get," Lily chirped in a sing song voice.

**Dobby explained that he'd made them himself, he'd bought the wool from his own wages!**

"Naww," Lily beamed, Dobby really was just the sweetest little thing.

**Harry saw that they were Quidditch themed, one being red with broomsticks, the other green with Snitches.**

"Actually, you could consider that a matching pair," James smirked.

"Anything Quidditch related will always be taken with gratitude," Sirius agreed sagely.

**Harry managed to get out a thanks to Dobby as he pulled them on, and the little elf looked likely to cry with happiness at the sight.**

"Aww," Lily couldn't, and wasn't trying to stop, a coo again. Even the boys couldn't stop a pleased look about themselves at Harry responding like this, he really was just such a good kid.

Harry was flushed and muttering under his breath it really wasn't that big a deal, it had just been the right thing to do.

**Dobby couldn't stay long after that, telling how they were already working on Christmas dinner as he waved them good-bye and sprinted out. Harry went after his other presents then, finding the Dursleys had sent him a tissue,**

"Think they're still bitter about that grate," James crinkled up his nose, the tendons on his arm standing out showing he wanted to do much more than make a crude comment.

"I know I haven't forgotten," Sirius' smile held no pleasantries even if that was a good memory to him.

"Least it wasn't a used one," Harry shrugged, the others unsure if he was trying to be sarcastic or not.

**Hermione** **a book called Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland,**

"I want to hear about you reading that the next time she complains about you not doing work," Remus chuckled.

**Ron, a bulging bag of Dungbombs;**

"Ron handing out the real presents there," Sirius smirked.

**Sirius, a handy penknife with attachments to unlock any lock and undo any knot;**

"I guess you could have sent him something worse," Lily shook her head fondly at him.

"I'm honestly disappointed he didn't send another Firebolt," James chuckled.

**Hagrid a large assortment of candy, and Mrs. Weasley a green sweater with a dragon stitched into it.**

"That's not funny," Sirius grumbled with a pout.

"I love it," Harry shrugged, thinking back fondly on all the sweaters he kept getting from her, warmth spreading through him every time he got a new one.

Lily forced the smile to remain on her face even at the small little prick of annoyance she got that she couldn't be the one to do this for her baby.

**Harry and Ron went downstairs after that to find Hermione in the common room where they all ate breakfast.**

Remus felt another stunning blow to the gut as he realized that was all the presents he'd received, with one stand out. It never ceased to bother him how much he'd just melted back out of Harry's life, not even sending so much as a pence to Harry for Christmas when even the Dursley's had sent him some crap thing just to show they hated the boy. Merlin Sirius was on the run and he'd still been doing better than him! Thankfully he didn't think the others noticed, for now, but he more than hated himself enough for all of them anyways.

**They spent the morning having a great time celebrating and playing with Wizard Crackers, which exploded and left gifts behind. After lunch the boys all went out onto the grounds for a snowball fight, but at five Hermione declined watching anymore, saying she had to get ready.**

"Think that's the first time I've heard Hermione acting like a girl," Sirius groaned with a suffering sigh. "Who needs three hours to get ready?"

"You will when I give you a black eye and you try to hide it," Lily snapped pleasantly.

Sirius elected to ignore that.

**Ron asked what she needed three hours for, and payed for his lapse by George nailing him in the head. After Ron shook the snow off, he still called after her who she was going with, but she ignored him as she went inside.**

"He's going to find out in just a few hours now," James chuckled, "can he really not wait tell then and nail his brother back?"

**Once seven came around, the boys headed back inside as well, having to get past a drunk Fat Lady to get inside their tower.**

"Paintings can get drunk?" Harry asked mildly.

"Sure," Sirius shrugged, "they're constructs of real people after all."

Harry really wanted to ask at some point for details about these portraits and just how human they supposedly could get, how they were made and everything, but knew that would take so long now wasn't the time.

**The boys all got ready, clearly feeling self conscious, though none more so than Ron. There was just no other way to describe his dress robes, other than as a dress.**

"That poor kid," James said in honest sympathy.

"I get that his mum didn't have the money to go all out," Sirius agreed with a wince, "but did she have to make it as bad as possible?"

Lily couldn't find it in herself to snap at them for that, she couldn't help but agree she did feel bad for Ron about this one.

**In a desperate attempt to make them look more manly,**

"There's a lost cause before it started," Harry chuckled.

**he'd cut off the lacy cuffs and frill, but that only left little strings behind.**

**Dean was muttering to the pair of them how they'd gotten the best looking girls in their year?**

"If they were so good looking, how come they weren't asked out first thing," Sirius snorted.

"Maybe they kept turning people down," James shrugged.

Both boys suddenly realized Remus had gone a bit quite, but they weren't really sure what that agitated look was for, and thinking it may still be some lingering agitation at the rat they weren't going to pester him about it.

**Ron tried to say with gusto it was animal magnetism, while picking at a thread.**

"Right," Lily drew the word out with pure derision, still honestly having wished Ron had just bailed out on this night he was annoying her so much.

**The common room looked odd to Harry without the usual amount of black uniforms, instead everyone was done up in all bright colors. He caught sight of Parvati, wearing a pink dress with gold bangles. Thankfully, she wasn't giggling when Harry greeted her.**

"Yet," James smirked.

Harry just gave him a look for that, wondering how long she would last and it started up in this room again as well.

**He politely told her how nice she looked, who thanked him then told Ron her sister would meet them down in the Entrance Hall. Ron hardly acknowledged this before demanding where Hermione was.**

"He so clearly cares," Lily snorted.

**Parvati just shrugged,**

"You know, I honestly forget sometimes they're roommates," Lily admitted, as she thought Parvati should have known if she'd left already.

**as she asked Harry if he was ready to go. He agreed, while mentally wishing he could just stay in the common room.**

"Nah, that's too obvious," Sirius smirked, "you should go down to the Chamber or something, no one can drag you out of there."

"Giant basilisk for a date, that's lovely," James rolled his eyes.

**The Entrance Hall looked like a new place with so many people that should have been familiar, but looked so different milling around. Parvati led the way to her sister, wearing a matching dress of design and accessories, but was instead turquoise. She greeted them politely, but Ron didn't even give her a glance as he said hi back,**

"Ron's clearly just as enthused about this," Lily rolled her eyes, though honestly she was hoping to look past this and hear about the dance already. She was honestly jealous Hogwarts had never done anything like this while she attended, it sounded like it could be fun if Harry got past the awkward part.

**but quickly went down behind Harry in an attempt to hide from Fleur,**

"Just imagine if Ron had showed up with her on his arm," James cackled, "they'd make quite the pair."

**who was looking even more splendid than usual in a long silvery dress, the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, Roger Davies, as her partner. Ron waited until they were out of sight before craning around again, demanding of no one where Hermione was.**

Lily couldn't help a small little smile to herself, still wondering if Ron even realized why he was asking so much. No friend should be this worked up over who their date was.

**Harry caught sight of a group of Slytherins instead, one of which was Malfoy wearing some highly polished black robes that made him look like a pastor.**

"Really?" Sirius snorted, "I'd imagine him looking more like a vampire."

"Remember Trocar," James pointed out with an old laugh, "I still swear he's one."

"The best teachers are the monsters," Sirius chipped in with an obvious look at Remus.

He glared balefully back, but did indeed give himself a mental slap and forced himself to stop wallowing for now. Just because he was a terrible person in this skewed future didn't mean that of him now, he hoped. Sirius was never going to Azkaban on his life, so that in turn should mean his useless self would never turn into that, and he'd just have to get over it in the meantime. For now he focused on something much more pleasant and snapped back at his friend, "you refering to me or Snivellus?"

Harry tried, and failed, to turn his snort of laughter into a cough. Sirius, looking remarkably pleased with himself for keeping Remus back on focus, kept going now with a smug look.

**Pansy as his date was hanging onto his arms in frilly pink cloth. Crabbe and Goyle seemed more similar and troll like than ever, wearing moss green robes, both without partners.**

"Probably too simple minded to even form the question," James scoffed.

**The front doors spilled open then, releasing more people into the stream, Krum in front with a pretty girl Harry didn't recognize in blue.**

Harry felt something trying to smack him between the eyes when his eyes had passed over that girl, like he really should go back and take another look.

**Behind them, the grounds of the school had been magicked into a sort of low maze wall, bushes having been constructed into a path, filled with hundreds of real fairies lighting the way to a stone Father Christmas with a reindeer fountain.**

"Oooh," Lily's eyes lit up like their own Chirstmas. "Now why don't they have that up year 'round, that sounds lovely!"

"Sounds like a great place for some fun," Sirius remarked with quite a different grin.

Lily's smile slipped into a scowl at him, did he have to ruin everything she said.

Harry hadn't noticed the exchange one bit, something very horrid indeed wanting to pop into his mind at any mention of a hedge maze, even one as small and tame as this.

**Professor McGonagall made her appearance, announcing the champions come to her side. Harry and Parvati went over to her, Harry noticing McGonagall was wearing a tartan red dress with an ugly thistle on her hat.**

"Well don't tell her that," Remus smiled kindly, "I'm sure she tried very hard."

"Really though, I hope someone invited Colin so he could be taking pictures of all this," James groaned with longing. Descriptions weren't cutting it for him, he wanted to see all of this in action!

**She had them wait by the doors to the Great Hall before slipping inside. Fleur and Roger had themselves closest to the door, the guy not even seeming to notice he was so dazed by his good fortune he hadn't taken his eyes of Fleur yet.**

"Well that's, sweet," Lily grumbled, thinking those two pinheads were still nicer to think about than who she knew Harry was undoubtedly going to spot in a few moments.

**Cedric and cho were close at hand, and Harry quickly looked away so he wouldn't have to watch.**

"Hey, you didn't describe how Cho was dressed," Sirius pouted, "I was rather enjoying all the colorful wardrobes." He was looking at Harry in a very obvious way that stated he was not going to keep going until Harry told.

Harry groaned, knowing Sirius was just doing this to further tease him that he noticed such a thing, but finally admitted, "it was royal blue, with some kind of rhinestone pattern."

Sirius gave Harry a winning smile which Harry did not return, so he turned back to the book still laughing far too much in Harry's opinion.

**His eyes next fell on the girl next to Krum. His jaw dropped.**

"Wow, she must be prettier than Fluer," Remus smirked.

**It was Hermione.**

"What!?"

It had been a while since all of them had yelped in shock at once, but Sirius had hardly gotten her name out before his face fell in shock so he didn't get much of a chance to laugh at the display.

"Are you telling me that seeing Hermione in a dress really made her unrecognizable," Lily demanded as she eyed Harry who still looked like his face wasn't moving from that open mouth any time soon.

"That's what you caught on," James scoffed, suddenly looking scandalized. "I can't believe she's there with Krum! The Bulgarian champion! Harry warned her he could have a hand in this Goblet mess to begin with, and she's possibly letting him get closer to my son by going on a date with him?!"

"Oh stop being so dramatic James," Lily scolded, a small frown showing she couldn't shake that thought off herself. "Krum's done nothing suspicious so far to warrant anything than a close eye."

"Which is exactly what Hermione's doing, in a different kind of way," Remus muttered.

Lily scowled at him next, thinking all of these boys were picking on her far too much.

**She didn't look one bit like her normal self though. Her usual thick bushy hair had somehow been slicked into one elegant bun. She was even holding herself differently, though that could have been the absence of her usual stack of books not weighing her down. Her smile seemed lighter than ever, the recent reduction of her teeth more standout than ever.**

"I can't even picture it," Remus stated, blinking slowly with his head cocked to the side.

"The first description we got of her was this bushy haired kid babbling on about books," Sirius agreed, "I'm having processing issues seeing anything else."

"Why do you think it took me so long to recognize her," Harry shook his head, "I'd been staring at that for over three years."

**She greeted them happily, but Parvati just gazed with unflattering disbelief.**

Lily had an restrained, very fond smile on her face for the bookish girl so clearly trying to make something of herself tonight, she wanted to smack Parvati and anyone else who tried to treat her otherwise.

**Harry's date wasn't the only one. As the Great Hall was finally opened and Krum steered her inside, his own fanclub were giving Hermione looks of deepest loathing.**

"Well them I'll believe," James snorted.

**Pansy and Malfoy couldn't even seem to find a single insult to throw at her as she passed.**

"First time for everything," Remus chirped.

**Ron didn't even seem to notice as he was caught still wandering through the crowd.**

"Probably still looking for her without recognizing her," Sirius laughed, now really not wanting to wait until he could hear about Ron's face when he did! That could get priceless!

**The champions were led up to a high table where the judges were already seated.**

Harry released another groan as once again, he was being put up for all to see.

**Decorations** **like never before hung against the walls, giving the place a gossamer glow. The Hall had been removed of it's usual house tables, and instead there were hundreds of smaller tables seated for people, each placed with lanterns.**

"As much as I hate this thing involving you," Lily smiled, "I can't deny this place sounds lovely, I really wish I'd got a chance to see this at school."

"I'm honestly glad it didn't," James shot back, "as you know you wouldn't have gone with me unless it was in our seventh year, so most likely I would have ruined the night."

"At least he admits it," Sirius chuckled when Lily gave him the stank eye.

**Harry didn't take it in much as he was more concentrating on his feet and not tripping around, Parvati was steering him so forcefully he felt like a show dog as he kept up.**

"At least someone's enjoying themselves," Remus snorted.

**He once again saw Ron and Padma, the first of whom was now watching Hermione with narrowed eyes.**

"Well, I think he recognizes her now," Sirius said in surprise, that hadn't been the expression he'd been expecting.

**Padma was looking sulky.**

"Can't blame her if she ditches him at this point," Lily grumbled, jealousy or not, Ron was being rude.

**Dumbledore greeted them warmly, but Karkaroff was wearing an expression close to Ron's as he eyed his champion.**

"Well that's actually interesting," James cocked his head to the side. "Either he's still being a really good actor and didn't put his champion into getting in close with one of Harry's friends, or he's being a pompus arse who dosen't think Herminoe's good enough for his Quidditch champion."

"I can't decide which is more depressing," Remus told him, "so let's let it go for now."

**Bagman was wearing bright purple attire smattered with stars and clapping right along with the students, Maxime had donned a flowing lavender silk attire and applauding as everyone as well.**

"I didn't hear Hagrid in there," Lily said in surprise.

"Yet," Sirius smirked as he had no doubts.

**Crouch however, was not in attendance.**

"Well I can't say I'm disappointed," James' frown deepend.

"But that is really odd," Lily blinked spastically.

"Unless he's on his deathbed, it's not like him to not make an appearance," Remus explained for Harry, "he's all about appearances."

Harry had noticed they'd made a few comments like this before, and wanted to ask for more details, anything to keep talk off this stupid dance, but Sirius was honestly bored with the topic of him and wanted to keep going so didn't notice Harry.

**Instead, in his seat was Percy.**

"What!" Was yelped in shock.

"Yeah, not joking," Sirius promised as he eyed the page like he wished it was.

"Why on earth is Percy there?" James demanded in disgust, he'd been enjoying not having to hear about that Weasley.

"In Crouch's spot," Remus added suspiciously, that couldn't mean what he was thinking, Percy was still too young.

Sirius remained stumped for a moment longer before a nudge from Harry convinced him to keep going in hopes Percy would explain.

**As the champions took their seat, he was giving Harry a pointed look which Harry took as taking a seat next to him.**

"No," James groaned at once. "Stop being polite already, I don't want to listen to his mouth!"

"You were just wondering why he was there," Lily pointed out, "how easier could it get then sitting down and asking him."

"I wasn't that curious," Sirius groaned, right in line with James.

**Percy was wearing brand-new navy robes,**

"Must be nice to have his own money now," Remus muttered to himself, his pity for Ron's situation still smarting on the boys behalf.

**and an expression of such smugness that Harry thought it ought to be fined.**

"I'll get right on that," Lily chuckled.

**Before Harry could even ask, Percy was already explaining that he had been promoted, in tones as if he was announcing his ruling as supreme ruler of the universe.**

James couldn't deny a bit of a laugh for that though, pompous as he was, he did believe he'd worked hard to get there.

Sirius didn't look nearly as indulgent at the expression as he kept going, Percy agitated him enough that he couldn't pretend to be excited for him if he tried.

**He was now Crouch's personal assistant, and was here tonight to represent him.**

**Harry asked why it wasn't Crouch himself, not looking forward to spending a whole night listening to cauldron bottom reports.**

"Like Crouch would be any better," Remus rolled his eyes, "he'd have spent the time going over some boring paperwork as well."

**Percy told how Crouch had not been feeling well as of late. Since the World Cup in fact, he'd been handing a lot of responsibility over to Percy. Crouch had suffered quite a bit at the hands of Blinky or whatever that house-elves name was.**

Percy was not endearing Lily to feel too happy for him either, he was starting to act as bad as Crouch in that he found anyone less important than him unworthy of his time, or even learning their name. He really should know how that felt.

**It had cost him some drops in his home comfort though, and a man his age couldn't afford that without taking some health problems. That revolting Skeeter woman buzzing around wasn't doing them any favors,**

Harry couldn't help but nodd in agreement with that at least, finding it an interesting choice of words.

**well all in all, the poor man deserved his quiet Christmas. Percy was very glad indeed Crouch knew he could entrust this task to him.**

No one in here liked Crouch enough to really spike up concern for this, but it was admittedly depressing to hear about a man coming to the end of his life like this.

**Harry had to fight down the urge to ask whether Crouch still called him Weatherby,**

"I don't think he could get away with promoting him if he was," James snickered.

"But thank you for the reminder," Sirius chuckled.

**but resisted the temptation.**

"You've far more restraint than anyone here," Remus shook his head.

**Instead Harry turned his attention back to the room at large, and saw that there was no food in sight, but instead menus in front of everyone. There were no waiters though, and it took Dumbledore glancing over his own and stating 'pork chops' to his plate to make the food appear.**

"Oh," James blinked in surprise, "Now that's rather clever."

"Can you imagine how that works," Lily's said with honest curiosity. "The magic must resonate it down to the kitchen, where the elves have the meal prepared."

"Actually it sounds like an even better idea than our usual buffet style," Sirius agreed, "I imagine less goes to waste, or has to be stored and such."

"It must be giving the house-elves a real work out though," Remus offered, "they'll be running around to make sure all the meals get to proper places rather than just sending it all up at once."

The thought hadn't even crossed James and Sirius' minds, but Sirius had already grown bored with this and wanted to move on before he could bother to come up with an argument for Remus.

**Now caught on, the rest of the room began ordering their meals as well. Harry glanced at Hermione to see how she'd feel about this new method, as surely it meant more work for the house-elves, but for once his friends attention didn't seem to be on S. P. E. W.**

"Bless my soul," James smiled even wider. "Has the girl finally found something human to distract her?"

"Leave her be," Lily giggled as she knew exactly what he and the others were thinking right with her. "She's allowed to have a night off from trying to change the world."

**She was deep in talk with Viktor Krum and hardly seemed to notice what she was eating.**

"Naww," Sirius cooed at once before all the boys broke out into smatterings of giggles. Lily rolled her eyes indulgently at them, but at least they'd moved on from thinking of Krum as some suspicious ploy. Really, was it so surprising to them Hermione could have a pleasant date?

**It now occurred to Harry that he had never actually heard Krum speak,**

"Ah, nope, hadn't occurred to me either," Remus admitted in surprise.

 **but he was** **certainly talking now, and very enthusiastically at that.**

"Harry I think your dates being ignored," Sirius informed Harry, fighting back a laugh as he realized how long Harry had been focused on everything but her, now he was even listening in on his friend instead of engaging the girl.

Harry ignored him.

**His thick accent didn't curb his enthusiasm as he described their castle back home, much smaller than this one apparently, but the grounds were even more vast. All of the mountains and lakes, you could fly around them for days!**

**Karkaroff interrupted before he could go into further details, scolding that if he kept at it, Hermione could figure out where they were hiding.**

"So," Lily shrugged, "she still couldn't get in without attending the school."

"Don't go giving her ideas," James smirked.

**Dumbledore chuckled, asking Igor if this secrecy was really necessary? Why wouldn't he want visitors?**

"Most magical schools don't," Sirius shrugged, "we're too secretive by nature."

**Karkaroff was not amused as he told back that he was not the only one who prided himself on thinking that he jealously guarded the secrets of his halls, that they alone knew all the hidden notes of their schools, and had every right to protect that.**

"I might agree with him if he wasn't some Death Eater scum," James muttered bitterly, unable to hear his man's name without that image coming back of his slimy arse getting out of Azkaban, leaving Sirius in there when one deserved it infinitely more than the other.

**Dumbledore did not agree, peacefully explaining that he in no way thought he knew all of Hogwarts secrets.**

"Hum," Sirius tisked, "guess Dumbledore doesn't have our confidence."

"I wish you didn't have your confidence," Lily snipped, "don't make me get a pin cushion to deflate that head of yours again."

**Just last night he'd been out in the castle seeking relief, and had come across a marvelous bathroom he'd never seen before.**

Remus made a deep throated noise as he tried to suppress his laughter that Dumbledore had somehow turned this conversation into finding a loo!

**When he'd gone back to find it later, he couldn't find a trace of it. Perhaps it was only available at a certain time, or at a specific phase of the moon, or was only available when one had an exceptionally full bladder.**

By the end no one had a straight face, and in fact Sirius was cut off by his own laughing fit from this. It was James who tried to gasp for air first and state, "okay, Dumbledore wins, I don't think we know about that."

"You think maybe he's right?" Lily asked with honest curiosity, "and there's a place in the school that only appears when you've really got to take a piss?"

"Or any other option he provided," Remus nodded agreeably, "that school has magic built into the walls, it really wouldn't surprise me to learn if some things only exist when you need it most."*

Harry felt a tingling in the base of his skull, somehow Remus phrasing it like that and Dumbledore's experience really should have been clicking together somehow, but Sirius was getting over his laughing fit as well to keep going.

**Harry snorted into his plate of goulash.**

"I'm sure that made it taste better," Sirius nodded in absolute agreement.

**Percy frowned,**

"Can he do anything else," James rolled his eyes.

**but Harry caught Dumbledore's eye and they shared a smile.**

**Fleur on his other side was having a one sided conversation, criticizing Hogwarts to Roger.**

Lily wasn't the only one with a scowl in place at that declaration. Hogwarts was their home, and they were more than sick of this pretty girl constantly complaining about it. Sirius in particular was really feeling the shine wear off from this princess, she could keep that long blond hair if she'd use it sow her mouth shut.

**Mostly going over the decorations of this place, and how they didn't even compare to Beauxbatons, who had large magical ice sculptures that never melted of course, and diamond statues, and nymphs that serenaded them at their meals.**

"Sounds like you're all spoiled rotten to me," James grumbled.

"I'd think that would get annoying," Remus huffed, "who needs to be sung to to eat? Does it help with digestion?"

"With luck it would make the sound of her complaining dim slightly," Sirius sniffed.

**They didn't have any of that ugly old armor around,**

"Hey," Sirius yelped in pure indignation, "that armor has personality!"

"Plus, some of our best ideas came from those seemingly innocent bits of metal everywhere," James beamed. "I can't count how many times we jinxed one to chase down and hug passing students."

"I'm sue Fleur would have plenty to say about that as well," Harry smirked. For some reason he wasn't as put off about Fleur like he saw the others were. Something about her resonated in him as friendly, though she wasn't showing a drop of that now.

**and if a poltergeist had even dared entered, he would have been kicked out like that!**

"Hey," all three Marauders yelped at that injustice.

"Peeves is awesome," Sirius insisted like he was trying to throw it in some french girls face now.

Lily on the other hand would give her that point at least, even the boys when pressed would admit that Peeves wasn't all good for fun, he could be quite a nuisance.

**She'd smacked her table for emphasis there at the end, and Roger, who clearly hadn't taken in a word but instead kept gazing at her open mouthed**

"Wow, such intrigue," Remus rolled his eyes.

"Does that really work," James demanded, raising a curious brow. "Just sit there gawking at them, is that how Davis got her to go with him? How come that never worked on you love?"

"I'm starting to wonder if Fleur wasn't the one who asked him out," Lily shrugged, ignoring the second part as he knew full well why she hadn't been endeared by that.

**quickly snapped to attention and agreed at once, mimicking her table slap.**

"Such riveting conversation, how does he do it," Sirius grumbled.

**At the other end of the hall Harry spotted Hagrid**

"There's something fun to think about," James smiled again. "Bet he's counting down the minutes until Maxime doesn't have to be up there anymore."

**wearing an old ugly suit while gazing at the top. Maxime caught his staring and gave a wave back to him.**

"Aw, now there's a romance which'll surely bloom tonight," Lily giggled.

"About the only one it seems," Remus snickered.

**Hermione was now trying to teach Krum to say her name properly, he kept mispronouncing it as Hermy-own.**

"Those accents can cause some interesting variations," James agreed with chipper. "Once met a Spaniard fellow who called me J'ames all day no matter how many times I corrected him."

**She pronounced each syllable of her name clearly, Her-my-oh-nee.****

**He tried mimicking it back, but it came out as Herm-own-ninny.**

**She passed that as close enough, while meeting Harry's eyes with a grin.**

"It's not like Hermione to settle," Sirius grinned, "I'll bet she'd never have let Ron get away with that."

"Trust me, she didn't" Harry smirked, "Ron once tried to shorten her name and she ignored him for three hours. I'm sure it would have been longer, but he actually apologized for it."

**After all of the food had been consumed and taken away, Dumbledore took to his feet and used his wand to make a stage appear, along with a full set of instruments, including a bagpipe. Moments later, the band the Weird Sisters came in, all wearing hairy suites and ripped clothing.**

"Well this sounds like fun," Sirius grinned, "I particularly want to hear which one plays the bagpipes."

**They picked up their instruments, and Harry had been so busy watching he'd almost forgotten his part to play**

"Least you weren't dwelling on it," Remus chuckled.

**until Parvati caught his attention by hauling him to his feet and dragging him to the dance floor while Harry tripped over his robes.**

Harry groaned, knowing that was probably just the start to his night.

"Relax Harry," James tried to sooth, "at least it won't get so bad as your Valentine."

Harry did not look soothed.

**The band began a nice slow song as Harry tried avoiding all eyes from those such as Dean and Seamus,**

"Why don't you hang out with them more," Sirius snickered as he watched Harry's miserable face. "They sound like they know how to have a laugh."

Harry was too busy ignoring him to answer the rhetorical question.

**while being steered around by Parvati, who had his hand like a vice.**

"Guess I don't need to ask who's steering," Lily grinned.

**It wasn't as bad as it could have been while revolving slowly on the spot, his eyes kept going in every direction to avoid any one person watching him, and soon they were joined on the dance floor by other couples so the champions weren't alone.**

Harry could already feel himself relaxing again, at least that hadn't been as excruciating or long as he'd been dreading.

The others were honestly happy for him. Despite their teasing, it was good to see something just mildly normal like Harry having to dance for a few moments without anything memorable at all happening.

**Ginny and Neville were close by, Ginny wincing frequently as Neville troded on her feet,**

That spiked Harry's interest, not anything bad against Neville really, but just thinking to himself that if he'd cut in he knew he'd have tried his hardest not to be stepping on her feet as well. Then his mind fritzed, and he wasn't even sure what he'd been thinking anymore.

**and Dumbledore was waltzing with Madame Maxime.**

"I'll bet Hagrid was taking notes," Remus muttered.

**Dumbledore was much shorter than her, not even reaching her chin, but the two moved with grace as they moved through the crowd. Mad-Eye and Sinisterra were doing an odd two step, the latter doing her best to avoid that wooden leg.**

Lily couldn't stop several spurts of giggles at all of these lovely mental images Harry kept catching, her wish still holding that she was going to go up to school and beg them to have more events like this.

**Moody complemented Harry's socks as they passed, his magical eye at the hem of Harry's robes.**

Sirius looked rather disturbed as he read that part, grumbling, "why is he looking?"

"I'm just impressed you kept those on all day," James snorted.

**Harry gave an honest grin back as he agreed they were a present from his house-elf friend Dobby.**

Harry rolled his eyes at all of their chuckling, ignoring that pestering feeling telling him he should have kept that to himself.

**Parvati whispered to Harry as they twirled farther away how creepy Moody was, that eye shouldn't be allowed.**

"And I agree," Lily murmured with a slight shake. It didn't matter he was a teacher, that thing felt like too much of an invasion of privacy.

**Harry didn't respond as the finale note of the song played, and he let go of Parvati at once.**

"Well don't enjoy the moment or anything," Remus snorted.

**He offered to go sit back down even as she protested she really liked this next song, but Harry quickly fibbed and said he didn't as he dragged her away. The next number was far more upbeat, and they had to skirt around Fred and Angelina who were using such wild moves, many people had to steer clear in fear of injury.**

"There's the best way to do it," James declared with only a fond roll of the eyes from his wife.

**Harry quickly found Ron who was openly glaring at Hermione and Krum still on the floor. Padma was still beside him, but none too pleased about it as she kept giving him disgusted looks for still ignoring her.**

"You know, sometimes I don't think we give Trelawny enough credit," Sirius mused as he grinned down at the page.

He received nothing but blank stares from his friends, so Sirius shrugged and properly explained, "remember back in her first class, when she made the comment Ron would do something to Parvati. I think she got the wrong twin is all."

"Why do you remember that?" Remus demanded as he usually phased anything that fortune teller said right out of his mind.

Sirius' smile wasn't as easy going as before as he stated, "what can I say, she's had an impact on me," before going on loudly.

**Parvati sat down on Harry's other side, but moments later a Beauxbatons boy came up and asked her for a dance. She asked Harry if he'd mind, but he hardly noticed the question, his eyes had found Cho and Cedric.**

Lily gave a sad little chuckle at that, stating, "oh yes, he's simply going green with worry."

Harry wasn't paying her much more mind than he'd given his date, he was still trying to count down the pages until this stupid night was over.

**Parvati snapped at him to just forget it, stalking off with the other boy.**

**Hermione came over moments later, collapsing into her seat and fanning her face as she exclaimed how hot it was,**

"Only for those not sulking," James pointed out.

"I wasn't sulking," Harry huffed back, "I was just-" he cut himself off and winced as he realized he didn't exactly have a word for what he was doing.

**and that Viktor had gone to get them drinks.**

**Ron was not any more pleased to have her nearby, demanding of her if her date had asked her to call him Vicky yet?**

"If he's already asking for nicknames on the first date, I think she'd have a clinger," Sirius stated.

"You know Ron's just being a prat," Remus scolded him, "now would you stop trying to give us dating advice and move on."

Sirius stuck his tongue out at him first before doing so.

**Hermione looked shocked at his tone, asking what his problem was?**

**Ron snapped back if she didn't know, he wasn't going to say.**

Lily had to press her hand firmly to her mouth to stop a storm of titters, she couldn't believe Ron had just said that with a straight face, a straight up girl line.

**Hermione stared at him, then at Harry, who shrugged.**

"Either you're being obvlious, or staying out of it," James patted Harry's shoulder, "either way, I commend you."

Harry was shaking his head slowly, neither confirming or denying either option.

**She tried to ask Ron again, but he exploded at her how she was here with a Durmstrang! He was the compitition, he- he cut himself off as he tried to find words for Hermione's crime, before concluding that she was fratenizing with the enemy!**

"Melodramatic much," Lily sighed.

"Well he's not wrong," James shrugged, though winced when his wife gave him a nasty look for that.

"Well he's not," Sirius defended his mate, and Ron. "I did warn them that something could be going on with the Bulgarian people, and that's who she goes with."

"Don't be stupid," Lily spat, "Ron would be acting like this towards anyone who wasn't him spending time with her right now."

Sirius gave her a calculating look, but wasn't going to argue that back.

**She told him he was being an idiot, they weren't enemies. Where was this attitude when he'd arrived,**

"There's a difference between enjoying a celebrity around, and mingling with them," James scoffed.

**when Ron had wanted his autogrpah?**

"Um, having an autograph is far different than having a date," Sirius frowned like he thought Hermione was being daft.

**Ron had a model of him up in his dormitory!**

"And?" Remus demanded curiously, "he was a Quidditch nut before this mess started."

"Are you lot really on his side," Lily scowled at the lot of them. "Hermione hasn't done anything wrong, and Ron's acting like a ponce saying otherwise."

James quickly through his hands up in surrender, saying "hey, we're just saying Hermione hasn't made a valid point yet, but Ron has."

Lily narrowed her eyes shrewdly at him as she stated, "you know full well Ron's only mad because Hermione's out with anyone but him, when he only realized at the last minute she was an option. He's being a child."

"Well he is a child," Sirius reminded, though quickly went back to reading when Lily looked likely to smack him any second.

**Ron ignored all of that by asking when all this had started, up in the library?**

**Hermione agreed, demanding what of it?**

**Ron asked if she'd tried to get him on her spew campaign, and she snapped that no, Krum had actually been coming up there for weeks to try and pick up the courage to ask her out.**

"Aww," Remus couldn't help but grin, then rolled his eyes at his friends scandalized looks like he seemed to be switching sides. "What," he shrugged, "think back, and every time he was there, he'd see her and Harry working together. It's no wonder he couldn't bring himself to ask with him around. Plus Skeeter's article, and Krum wouldn't know better it wasn't true, I pity the guy."

"Then why did he ask her if he thought she was with Harry," Lily asked of no one.

"Maybe Hermione will say," Harry quickly tried to pacify before anyone else could strike up another argument, he really didn't want to sit around analyzing his friends love life.

**Hermione was getting angrier the longer this kept going while Ron kept at it, pointing out that as Karkaroff's student, he could be doing this just to get at Harry.**

**Hermione looked like Ron had slapped her.**

"It sounds even worse when he says it," Lily groaned for the poor girl. "As if she wasn't pretty enough just to be asked out on a date without having Harry for a friend."

"He didn't mean that at all," James rolled his eyes, "and I know you were thinking the same thing earlier."

"Well can you blame her for thinking Ron meant that," Lily snapped, "after the way he joked about her and Neville days before?"

Sirius was getting rather bored hearing her bicker at them about this, it's not like they'd ever insult Hermione's looks for any reason, and this was just some teenage drama she was working herself up over, so he ignored whatever spluttering comment James tried to make to keep going.

**Next time she spoke, her voice was quivering as she stated that for his information, Krum hadn't said a word about Harry!**

**Ron switched tactics at the speed of light.**

"At this point, I'll agree with Lily though," Remus sighed, "Ron's just looking for a fight, doesn't matter the bloke."

That was only one of Lily's points, they seemed to be missing the bigger picture that Ron was being as rude as possible in showing that he was just jealous of the whole instance, but at least they weren't trying to defend Ron from that part.

**Pointing out that Krum was instead hoping to get Hermione's help with that egg.**

**Hermione turned to Harry, insisting he should know that was never the case, she wouldn't help another champion.**

**Harry hadn't a moment to answer as Ron snapped she had a terrible way of showing it.**

"Funny how Harry wasn't the one who got to answer," Sirius snorted.

"I don't really have a problem with who she went with," Harry shrugged, "I found it odd sure, but ah, not like Ron did."

**Hermione nearly shouted at him that the whole point of this tournament was foreign wizards making friends!**

"Actually no, Hermione's full of it on that one." James shook his head at her.

"If they wanted to set up foreign friends, there are far better ways than tournaments where you're supposed to beat the other school," Remus agreed.

**Ron snapped that it was the opposite, winning!**

**People were really beginning to stare, so Harry tried to sooth Ron that he didn't care who Hermione's date was,**

"You'll do anything to avoid attention tonight, won't you?" Sirius raised a brow, thinking that was quite brave of Harry to step in then.

"Hermione was really getting angry at him," Harry winced, "and I'd seen what happens when that got bad, so yeah, I did try."

**but Ron ignored Harry too.**

"Clearly his goal of defending Harry is the sole topic of this," Remus smiled.

**Instead telling Hermione to go back and find Vicky already.**

**Hermione stormed to her feet and made a quick get away, Ron watching a rather satisfied face.**

"Well at least he enjoyed himself," Sirius sighed with his head cocked to the side, they hadn't exactly resolved anything.

"Honestly, at some point I think Ron enjoys arguing with people," Lily groaned.

**Padma inserted herself by asking Ron if he was going to dance with her at all.**

"Did she really just ask him that, after all that?" Lily did a double take.

"I honestly have no idea why she bothered," James agreed.

**Ron snapped no at her without even looking at her, and Padma snapped right back that was fine, getting up and leaving towards her sister and her new date. They hadn't spoken for a moment when the Beauxbatons boy summoned another friend to him so fast, Harry swore he used a spell.**

Causing four collective chuckles at Harry, who always seemed to find a spot of humor after a tense moment.

**A new voice asked where Hermione was, the butchering of her name giving it away.**

"If he'd just showed up five seconds earlier," Sirius smirked.

"We'd have had an even larger scene," Remus finished for him, though at least he seemed pleased that wasn't what happened.

**Krum was holding two butterbeers and looking at them in confusion, but Ron said back waspishly that they had no idea, Krum had simply lost his her.**

"Making him think he was ditched," James nodded, "that's kinder than I would have been to him."

"Don't get me started on you," Lily told him with a straight face, "don't think I wasn't well aware of how many times in school you did something much subtler, but with much more force to anyone who asked me out."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," James declared saintly, not even bothering to hide a flashing grin when she kept staring.

**Krum was definitely picking his surly attitude back again as he told that if they did see her, to tell that he had drinks before wandering off.**

**Percy arrived then, congratulating them on making friends with Krum.**

"Not the word I'd use," Remus shook his head.

"Sad if Krum had come with anyone else, Ron probably would have used that time to try and properly talk to him," Sirius agreed.

**He was rubbing his hands together and looking extremely pompous,**

"I swear that's in every description he's ever had," James scoffed.

**happily chatting about how that was the point of all this, to make international cooperation.**

"Could he have said a worse thing right then," Lily raised a brow at his poor timing.

**Harry was not remotely pleased when Percy sat down beside them, and instead went back to looking at the dance floor. Dumbledore and Sprout were having a dance, as were Bagman and McGonagall**

"Now there's some potential for fun," Siris' brows krept up in surprise and glee.

"Eww," Lily crinkled her nose at him, "glory Sirius, can't two adults ever just enjoy each other's company?"

"Tell me Quidditch fan McGonagall wouldn't at least have been the one to ask star player Bagman for that dance?" James challenged with the same look as Sirius.

She didn't argue the point.

**Maxime and Hagrid were cutting a wide path around the dance floor as they waltzed through the students,**

"Was waiting for that one," Sirius chuckled.

**and Karkaroff was nowhere to be seen.**

"Oh that's encouraging," James frowned.

"Lighten up, I'm sure he's not the only one to vacate the moment he wasn't supposed to be there," Remus tried to brush off his own worry.

"I kind of wanted you to keep talking about dancing partners," Sirius pouted, as he loved laughing at the mental images of all his old teachers cutting loose like that.

**After that song ended, Bagman gave McGonagall a pleasant kiss on the hand, before making his way out of the crowd. He didn't get far before the twins caught him.**

"Probably looking for that sponsorship," Remus chuckled, "they've only got a year left."

"Well they've already made a good impression, so they're off to a great start." Sirius agreed with cheers.

Harry already had his head cocked to the side, something nagging at him about the twins and Bagman again he just knew he should be putting a finger on.

**Percy was watching this as well, hissing his displeasure about his brothers accosting a senior Ministry member.**

"This little brat never ceases to annoy me," James grumped. "He goes from disliking him to calling him high ranking at the flip of a switch."

"Disliking him doesn't negate his status," Lily defended with a shrug.

**They had no respect for anyone.**

"It's not like they're mauling him," Remus rolled his eyes, "they're trying to have a chat with him. Percy needs to get a grip."

**Bagman shook off Fred and George fairly quickly, however,**

"Aw," all five of them pouted, wondering what had Bagman so distracted he wouldn't take time to talk to the twins like he had over the summer. Harry was so distracted by his disappointment for the twins, he completely forgot what he was supposed to be remembering about this.

**and came over to Harry's table. Percy quickly apologized for his brothers, but Bagman laughed that off, saying they'd just been asking about some contacts Bagman had promised them regarding Zonkos.**

"Oh, well alright then," Sirius agreed festively.

"That was rather short for all that," Remus still had a curious look on his face, "you think they've been corresponding outside of just talking?"

Harry jolted when he heard that, now positive that was exactly what he'd been trying to think up earlier, though for some reason he was sure it was more one sided...

James had noticed Harry, but rather than trying to force him to say something instead said, "I'm sure that's it, the twins aren't the shy type and it's smart of them to be setting this up as early as possible."

**Percy did not look pleased at the news, and Harry had the feeling he'd be reporting that to their mother.**

"Oh that bleeding killjoy," Lily groaned. "What good would it do? The twins are allowed to have their own life."

"See, we can agree on some things," James told her lovingly.

**Bagman was looking at Harry and clearly trying to change the subject before Percy could keep going, but Percy got their first by saying how pleased he was with how this tournament had been going. His department had been more than satisfied with the results, excluding that little hitch of course, his eyes flickering to Harry,**

"Hitch?" Lily said sharply.

"I called it far more than that," James muttered with mutiny.

**had been a tad unfortunate,**

"Unfortunate," Remus agreed with an ugly taste in his mouth.

**but ever since things had been smooth sailing.**

**Bagman agreed it was all in good fun,**

"Fun?" Sirius snapped, "Merlin, can't these two pull their heads out of their arses already, Harry's right there and he'd never say anything so mild about this mess."

Harry certainly agreed with Sirius, but he wasn't going to go correcting someone like Bagman either, and he'd long since grown used to just ignoring whatever Percy said.

**then asked about Crouch? Percy at once kept up his happy little spiel about all the work Crouch was leaving for him to do, including a conference he had with some Transylvanians-**

**Ron whispered into Harry's ear for them to get out of there while they could.**

Lily was the only one who looked remotely upset at this, in fact the boys looked relieved. Lily enjoyed hearing about these types of international affairs though, it would have been a nice change of topic from the constant problems revolving Harry, but recognized she wasn't going to get a say in the matter.

**Harry quickly agreed as the two slipped away and went out to the entrance hall.**

"I'd almost feel bad for Bagman getting stuck with that," Sirius snorted.

"If he hadn't been such a prat to Harry so far," James finished in agreement.

Lily actually felt bad for Percy, as she had no doubts that Bagman would slip away sooner rather than later, and apparently Percy hadn't brought his own date like his girlfriend to chat with. He was clearly looking for someone to talk to.

**They instead began traipsing the grounds, the low hedges taking on height the farther in they went, several rosebushes keeping them desecravity entertained. They hadn't gone too far when they heard an unpleasantly familiar voice,**

"Well this can't be good," Remus sighed, as that had yet to start them on a pleasant conversation.

**saying how there was nothing for Igor to be fussing about.**

**Karkaroff's voice returned very hushed and anxious as he told Severus there was nothing to be pretending about,**

"Well you're doing a terrible job of it, talking out in the open grounds," Harry muttered to himself, then looked around in surprise at all of the suddenly pale faces. Clearly he was missing something, but before he could ask his mother hissed, "no. He swore he'd never go through with that! I, those were rumors, he-" she spluttered herself off with pure indignation.

The Marauders had equally ugly looks on their faces, and it didn't take much for Harry to piece it all together. Karkaroff was a confirmed Death Eater as far as Sirius was concerned, and that was proof enough for them. Now he was going around talking to Snape about something, clearly something bad. Karkaroff was talking to someone he trusted, a fellow Death Eater. Was that presumptuous though? Harry didn't think so, something deep inside him was far to settled on the notion already. Harry hated Snape of course, but even he was mildly surprised to hear that he really had gone and joined Voldemort's crew. That is of course, if he was understanding this right, because would Dumbledore really higher a Death Eater?

This small bit had been more than proof enough for everyone else without any other type of confirmation.

"I can not belive how disgusted I am by this," Sirius snarled, his eyes going darker by the second as he stared at the pages. "After everything, I really am insulted at myself for how surprised I am we were right all along, he is a Death Eater."

"Was," Remus corrected half heartedly, he had a look on his own face that spoke volumes of how tired he already was on hearing about this.

"Excuse you," James snapped, "once one always one!" His face had flushed an ugly color in shock as he glared down Remus; who quickly cast his mind around and realized another Death Eater James' mind would have landed on, and so quickly explained himself,

"Oh come now, you really think Dumbledore would higer him if he hadn't reformed in some way? I doubt he ever got far past initiation, he and Karkaroff were probably brought in at the same time, but Karkaroff was caught and probably has no idea what Snape did to convince Dumbledore he wasn't a Death Eater anymore. Merline, we don't even know what possessed Dumbledore to hire this guy, though I still bitterly hate whatever that is." He had in no way implied that he'd ever forgive and forget Snape of anything he'd been doing to Harry so far, let alone any person who'd ever helped Voldemort, and that meant _anyone._

Lily's lips were still trembling to much to add in, though in hate or regret none of them were really sure. She may have long since renounced him as her friend, but had only recently truly begun hating him for the way he'd been treating her son, Sirius, and Remus. They had no real clue how this news was affecting her, and though James ached desperately to ask her, he wasn't entirely sure if he would like the response he'd get. What if she tried to defend him? Remus was only trying to vouch for Dumbledore, and that was nothing new even if it did irk him a lot more than ever before, but at least Dumbledore was still worth it on some level. He'd still be given a chance to defend himself. If Lily really tried to justify Snape to him though...

Sirius was watching her like a bomb fixing to go off, and finally the silence had rung for so long it seemed to register in her. She spoke very slowly and clearly, enunciating each word, "I am going to murder him the next time I have the pleasure, but please don't stop on my account. I want to hear what has Karkaroff in such a tizzy, it could only make my day better."

James unbelievably relaxed, but really, some things never died, he was just thankful Lily and Severus' friendship had been one of them that had.

**this had been growing clearer for months, it was a serious problem!**

Sirius couldn't help a violent snort of laughter at Karkaroff's choice of words, happily opening his mouth to make a crack before Lily interjected in honied tones, "If you actually start mocking this situation right now, I swear I will make your innards your outers. Are you really going to sit there and laugh about two Death Eaters prowling around school?"

Thoroughly chastised, Sirius still couldn't help a petulant little scowl at her for ruining his fun, but wasn't going to deny either he had something more pressing to be reading.

**Snape's curt reply was to tell Igor to flee, Snape would explain his absence, but he was staying right here.**

**They rounded the corner then, both with ill- tempered faces. As they passed one bush, a pair of students came tumbling out, and Snape took off ten points from both the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students who'd been caught.**

James muttered something under his breath about Snape being the opposite of cupid or something, but Harry didn't want to ask for details.

**Then they caught sight of him and Ron, and Snape demanded what they were doing?**

**Ron snapped back they were walking, asking if that was a crime now?**

"Never let Ron change that snappy tone," Remus stated mildly.

**Snape snapped at them to keep walking then, before he did so himself with Karkaroff hot on his heels.**

**Ron asked what had them so worried?**

"Nothing good," Sirius ground out.

Lily couldn't help but suddenly get the jitters, her mind unhelpfully flickering through all that had happened to Harry this year, and how they were suspecting Karkaroff had something to do with it. It was the last thing she ever wanted to hear that now Karkaroff had back up with Snape. And yet, her mind kept nagging at something, how Snape had tried to protect Harry in his first year, stopped Quirrell getting the Stone. There was no longer any real if in her mind, Snape had really turned in with all his real friends at school, but then why hadn't Quirrell come to Snape for help back then? Why, in fact, had Snape tried to stop Voldemort through Quirrell? It wasn't adding up, but it didn't really change anything inside her either. Even if she ever did get an explanation for him, she knew it would never be good enough, not after he'd gone and smashed every last promise to her for the last time. Sev was gone.

**Harry asked his own question, since when were he and Karkaroff on first name terms?**

Remus gave Harry a kind smile, at least he seemed to understand what was happening now, and he hadn't even asked, he'd pieced it all together himself. There was no trace of outward confusion in him to show he needed an answer. It only let Remus' mind to keep wandering though, to try and figure out what exactly did Karkaroff have to be so upset about? What was becoming clearer? All he could really think up was the Voldemort mentionings, and how they were all growing more and more terrified that he was trying to make a comeback with the help of the rat. Was it possible Karkaroff was hearing that news, and that's what he was referring to? Why would he be afraid of that though?

**They had reached a large stone reindeer now,**

Sirius muttered something under his breath regretfully, wanting to make a crack at Prongs, but worried Lily would snap at him again. The bleeding Death Eaters were gone, that part was over, could they please get back to talking about something more pleasant.

**with only one path leading off. In the shadows was a stone bench, where Hagrid's husky voice could be heard telling that he'd known from the moment he saw her.**

"Oh please go back to listening in on Death Eaters," James groaned, though honestly he was more than happy to gave a slight laugh. "I do not want to sit in on Hagrid's love fest."

"Turn around Harry, please tell me you run off from this," Remus agreed.

Harry gave them an absent smile, now worried that he really had walked in on something unpleasant he wasn't going to like.

**The boys froze, knowing right away this wasn't something they should be hearing.**

"Now what gave you that idea," Sirius rolled his eyes, pleasantly amused when Lily did nothing more than usual to his commentary again.

**Harry looked around for another way to go, and spotted Fleur and Roger half off the path. He pointed this out to Ron as a way to go, Fleur and Roger were certainly busy enough not to notice them,**

It was unbelievable that they could actually start laughing again, but Harry's mostly disgusted half intrigued look as he recalled looking at that certainly did it for the lot of them. Most students in the higher grades at least tried to hide these acts, so this was most likely Harry's first time ever watching someone make out, and it was certainly a more priceless and treasured moment than finding out something about Snape, so they were most definitely in at least a good mood again.

**but Ron's eyes flipped wide in horror at the sight of Fleur, and he instead pulled Harry deeper into the shadows of the statue.**

"Can't even blame him," Sirius said animatedly, "as he was probably hoping that was him a week ago."

"Moving on," Lily told him, "before you put more images into my head I never want."

**Maxime's voice responded to Hagrid with a purr, asking what he'd known?**

"No, really though Harry, you can still find another way to leave," Remus pleaded without a trace of hope.

Harry sighed with a miserable look at the ceiling, really wishing the more that was spoken he'd done just that.

**Harry knew he didn't want to be hearing this, and wished he could stuff his fingers in his ears and start humming loudly, but that wasn't an option.**

"I think it's better than the alternative," James shook his head sadly.

"And be found," Sirius corrected James, "no, best wait until they get ah, too distracted as well, and slip away, never mentioning this again."

"There you go again," Lily groaned, "could you not have edited that a bit so I didn't have to picture that!"

Sirius did not look remorseful in the slightest, he enjoyed the agitation it caused Lily too much.

**Instead Harry tried to concentrate on a beetle he found crawling on the reindeer,**

Harry frowned all of a sudden, some new feeling wanting to rear up and remind him of something other than embarrassment for listening in on this...

**but the insect wasn't interesting enough to drown out Hagrid saying how he'd known Maxime was like him, asking if she'd gotten it from her mother or father?**

"Oh," James embarrassment quickly flickered to surprise as he stated, "well this isn't nearly as bad as declaring his undying love."

"Guess they would have been talking long enough by now Hagrid would be curious," Lily agreed.

**Maxime tried to play him off, saying she had no idea what Hagrid meant.**

"Excusez-moi?" Remus tried, and failed, at a french accent. "If she isn't a half giant like Hagrid than I'm a fish."

"And as you most certainly do not turn into a mermaid once a month," Sirius agreed with a straight face, "I'm inclined to agree."

**Hagrid ignored that and happily kept babbling about how he'd gotten it from his Mum's side, she'd been one of the last left in Britain.**

"Ooh," Lily couldn't help but sigh softly. This may not be the romance that Harry shouldn't have been listening in on, but it certainly was private enough she still wished more than anything Harry had scarpered. If Hagrid had wanted him to know this, he'd have told him already.

**Admitting he didn't remember her that well, she'd left when he was three, but of course she wasn't the maternal sort. It just wasn't in their natures really, and he had no idea where she was now, could be dead for all he knew.**

The boys were frowning with some genuine pity as well now. They'd never really thought about it to be honest, but Hagrid was quite right, giants were not maternal of any kind, they had their brood and then left them to fend for themselves. The strongest survived, and Hagrid was the farthest thing from a fully grown giant. That's why he was such an oddity at all, what giantess had fallen for a human to have Hagrid? None of them had ever questioned it to deeply, and they were truly sad to be thinking on it now.

 **Maxime didn't say anything, and Harry, in spite of himself, took his eyes off the** **beetle**

Harry was certainly distracted enough by Hagrid as well to not even give that thing a second thought anymore, why would he?

**and looked over the antlers with interest, he'd never heard Hagrid talk about his childhood before.**

**He certainly was now as he kept going by explaining his dad had raised him, and he'd been such a tiny thing. By the time Hagrid was six, he could place his dad on a dresser, making them both laugh at the time. Maxime had gone stiff and didn't seem to be responding anymore.**

"Don't exactly know how you're supposed to respond to that," James shook his head, the urge to laugh was there at such a thing, but it was certainly sad enough to be kept at bay.

**Hagrid didn't seem to notice as he told how his dad had taken care of him until Hagrid started school, but he'd passed very soon afterwards and Hagrid was left to himself.**

Remus gave a genuine wince of empathy for that, wondering if it was the curse of all beasts that the parents suffered first. His own hadn't lived long enough to see him through school either.

**Dumbledore had been a help to him after that, always kind to him.**

"More than makes you understand his loyalty to him," Sirius sighed.

**Hagrid blew his nose on his handkerchief then, trying to turn the conversation back on Maxime by asking about her?**

**Maxime's tone had gone changed as she stated how chilly it was,**

Lily cocked her head to the side in confusion, but that still didn't hide the tense set of her shoulders. She wasn't really...

**but the weather was nothing to her now icy tones.**

"Oh she's not," James began scowling at once.

**She stated she was leaving,**

"She's bloody well trying," Sirius growled. She was actually trying to run out on Hagrid, after he'd just told her something like that. She really couldn't give him a moment of sympathy? What was wrong with her?

**but Hagrid tried to call her back, saying he'd never met another one before.**

**Maxime demanded outright, another what?**

"Does he need to spell it out for you," Lily's tone was as brittle as it could go. "Why is she being so stupid about it."

"Maybe she's never had to say it out loud before," Remus muttered to himself, he certainly remembered the first time he'd had to admit it to another person, but then again, it wasn't particularly the same. Maxime was being horrid to Hagrid, when he was trying to help. Maxime wasn't a real monster, she just happened to have a different kind of parentage.

Lily gave him a look for that comment, but the others hadn't heard, and Sirius was too outraged on Hagrid's behalf to notice and had kept reading loudly.

**Harry wished he could have told Hagrid against saying what he did next, but Hagrid did indeed state another half giant of course.**

**Maxie shrieked in outrage.**

"How dare he?" Lily snapped right back, her every vistage saying she'd go toe to toe with Maxime right now no matter the height difference. "What is she playing at treating him like that when he's talking to her. How does she not understand that if anyone could sympathize with her, it's Hagrid!"

**Her voice was such that it even drew the attention of Fleur and Roger, making them fall out of their bush.**

James sighed, wishing for a moment where he could laugh at that proper, now he was all in a knot about Hagrid. This Yule Ball was turning out as big a mess as the stupid tasks it was so emotionally all over.

**Maxime was still speaking in outrage how she'd never been more insulted, she was nothing of the sort! She just had big bones!**

"She did not, just manage to say that," Sirius snapped in disgust. "Dumbledore has big bones, Runcorn had big bones! She has giant bones!"

"It's like Petunia had a bad influence on her as well," James agreed with a sneer.

**She stormed away, stamping through bushes in her anger. Hagrid watched her go.**

Lily made a deep throated noise, whether of hurt for Hagrid like she wanted to go to him and comfort him at once, or go after Maxime and hunt her down for treating her friend like that, nobody was certain, but both were likely.

**It was too dark to see his face, but moments later, he got up as well and trudged back to his cabin.**

"Poor Hagrid," James groaned for him. "Does it feel like he's had to deal with crap every year, the poor guy needs a break."

"He definitely didn't deserve this one," Sirius nodded.

**Harry was at least happy they could finally get out of there and tried to get Ron to come along, but Ron didn't move.**

Lily's temper looked about ready to pop on Ron, she'd had more than enough of him lately, but Remus quickly soothed before she could get started, "he had a bad reaction to me when he first found out as well. Don't go yelling at him for something he's processing."

"It's not like it's hard to work out," Sirius grumbled with an ugly look in place, he didn't much appreciate Ron having any reaction other than anger towards Maxime like the rest of them.

"To us it wasn't," Remus agreed, trying, and failing, to keep shame from his face as he stuttered out, "because we, well we ah, had more of an um, practice of-"

"We went out and hung around with someone most people wouldn't put together had a secret," James finished bluntly. "So we had a knack for guessing when others did. It is true most would first think it was some sort of magical accident that would make Hagrid like that unless they spotted the clues we did."

Sirius rolled his eyes at them, but then remembered Lily hadn't even guessed as much until they'd told her as well, so decided against arguing further.

**Harry asked what his problem was, and Ron looked astounded at Harry with a very serious expression.**

"Why do you keep describing everyone as looking like me?" Sirius asked of Harry quickly, just looking for anything to laugh at again. "You miss me that much pup, you're seeing me everywhere?"

Harry did indeed laugh at that joke and still didn't seem ready to be growing tired of it anytime soon much to Sirius' pleasure.

**Ron asked if Harry had known about Hagrid being half giant, and Harry said he hadn't, but then asked so what?**

**Ron's face at once showed Harry's ignorance of the wizarding world.**

"An ignorance that I'm quite happy you have," Lily sighed.

"Had," James corrected with a frown.

Harry gave them quizzical looks, but didn't bother asking as he knew he'd be asking Ron what the big deal was. Clearly he'd had it wrong before, if ever he did think about giants he thought they were all like Hagrid, nobody had ever said anything otherwise.

**Brought up by Muggles, there were many times where something should have struck Harry differently in the wizarding world, and apparently finding out your friend was a half giant and the reaction being so what, was one of them; this was not a common reaction of most wizards.**

"I want to emphasize that most though," James shook his head sadly. "You know Hagrid for more than five minutes, and nobody should care a lick."

Remus was sitting very far back in his seat, keeping the baby very close to him and avoiding all eyes so that he could be left out of this as long as possible, but he had no doubts his friends would circle back to him on this very soon if this lead where he was thinking it would. They were going to turn on him and remind him that Hagrid being at Hogwarts was as natural as Remus being there , something he still vividly disagreed with.

**Ron told Harry he'd explain inside,**

"Can't blame him for that though," Lily agreed, "those gardens have already proved the ease of eavesdropping."

**leading the way back inside. Fleur and Roger had disappeared again, most likely to a more private clump of bushes,**

"Thank you, for acknowledging that Harry," James tried for a smirk again, at least that had brought back some fun memories from his seventh year, not that he had plans on sharing that.

**and Harry and Ron went back inside the castle.**

**He caught sight of Parati and Padma having a grand time with their new Beauxbatons dates, and Hermione dancing with Krum again.**

"Ron's clearly just having the night of his life with all these girls," Remus chuckled to himself.

**Harry and Ron chose seats as far away from everyone as possible as Harry asked what the deal with giants was?**

**Ron struggled to explain that they were, well not nice.**

"Yeah," Remus rolled his eyes at such articulation, "and werewolves are just kind of unpleasant sometimes."

"You certainly are when you get snappy," Sirius scowled at him, his look more calculating than anything as he tried to guess if Remus was genuinely trying at a joke, or making a crack at himself, a very big difference in Sirius' opinion.

Remus met his eyes but wasn't giving anything away, saving himself from a lecture as he should have known better when he did the latter.

**Harry asked why anyone would care, there was nothing wrong with Hagrid.**

**Ron quickly agreed, but it did explain why he never spoke about it. Ron had always thought he'd just had a bad encounter with an Engorgement Charm.**

"I've heard worse ideas," James smiled without humor. Those ideas were usually helped along by the Marauders though, who even having guessed Hagrid's secret, had said no more about it than Remus'. It was his business after all.

**Harry still asked what the deal with Hagrid was?**

**Ron tried to explain how dangerous giants were, they were vicious things that just liked to kill. Thankfully there weren't any left in Britain though.**

**Harry asked what happened to them, and Ron first said it was the Aurors who had killed most of them off,**

Harry's mind boggled at the idea, still unable to grasp how big a 'real' giant even was, and how you could go about killing that. The dragon had seemed nearly invincible, and a true giant seemed to be at least the size of them.

**but honestly, they enjoyed killing each other just as much.**

**Harry switched to talking about Maxime, saying she was kidding herself.**

"Least you're grasping the important parts of this," Lily sighed.

**Said woman was now at the judges table again, alone, looking miserable.**

"Deserves it," three of them muttered, no sympathy at all for the way she'd given Hagrid hell. Only Remus felt a wince for her, knowing full well how it could feel to have that kind of thing shoved in your face by someone. When his friends had done it to him, he'd tried running for his life, but they'd come after him. Hagrid and Maxime were slightly different, but at least Remus could understand both parts.

**Harry pointed out that if Hagrid was a half-giant, she certainly was. Big bones, please, the only thing with bigger bones was a dinosaur.**

At least James and Sirius full blown laughed at that, James praising, "thank you Harry for that lovely comparison."

**Harry and Ron spent the rest of the ball discussing giants in their corner,**

"I can just tell how riveted you are by this whole ordeal," Lily shook her head at him fondly.

"I never wanted to go in the first place," Harry reminded with a frown. "The part about the giants from Ron was the most interesting bit of the night."

"Wonder how different you'd feel if you had gone with Cho?" Sirius demanded with a knowing smile, genuinely wondering if it wouldn't have turned into his pup and her hiding in bushes, but Harry stutley ignored him again.

**while Harry tried his best not to watch Cho and Cedric,**

Then Harry groaned and had to fight the urge to chuck that book in the fireplace already, it just had to keep mentioning that!

"Don't get too down Harry," James comforted, "I'm positive you'll get another shot at her."

"Or find someone better," Sirius offered.

Harry finally caved and flicked his godfather in the ear mildly. It wasn't the full blown smack they'd all been expecting when Sirius' picking had finally worn Harry's last nerve, but it was certainly enough to have them all laughing.

**it gave him a strong desire to kick something.**

"Least he didn't act on that urge," Remus chuckled with an obvious look at Sirius.

Sirius absently scooted just a bit more away from a Harry with a not so subtle smirk.

**When the Weird Sisters had played their final song, the whole hall rang with applause while they filed back to the entrance hall.**

"I'm guessing you didn't find a new favorite band tonight as well?" Lily asked.

"Nah, nothing more special than I've heard on Muggle radios," Harry shrugged, he'd never found any real interest in music and this night certainly hadn't fixed that.

**Most of the passing people were expressing wishes how it had gone on longer, but Harry was not in the same boat.**

"Yeah, can't blame you for that," Sirius shook his head in agreement.

**Harry and Ron saw Hermione and Krum saying their goodnights. She gave Ron a blistering look as they passed.**

"Because I really missed hearing about those two arguing," Lily groaned in anticipation for when this silence broke, neither of them were very good at holding back.

**Harry and Ron were headed for the stairs when Cedric called Harry back.**

"What, did he come to rub it in or something?" James scowled.

"I don't think so," Lily was frowning as well, though more lightly. "I honestly don't really think he'd even know about Harry's crush, he's hardly flamboyant about it as you love."

James looked nullified, but Sirius' interest was still piqued as he kept going.

**Harry could see Cho waiting for him in the entrance hall below.**

"That kicking urge coming back yet?" Remus asked pleasantly, "I'm sure you can still find someone in here who deserves it."

"Thank you Moony," Sirius told him with a straight face, "you're ever lasting defense for me always leaves me feeling safe and loved."

"Shove it and keep going," James snorted at the pair of them.

**Harry responded back coldly, but Cedric didn't seem to want to speak with Ron there.**

"Don't know why?" Lily said in surprise, "Harry'll just tell him later anyways."

"Guess Cedric wants to leave that up to me," Harry shrugged with a still rather foul temper.

**Ron left, and Cedric lowered his voice so as not to be overheard as he told Harry for repayment about the dragon, he asked Harry if his egg wailed when he opened it?**

"I'd be more surprised if all the eggs did something different," Remus stated.

"It would have been a little more interesting though," Lily shrugged, "after all, if it's all the same puzzle, the champions could feasibly work it out together."

"Clearly that's not the case though," James pointed out before the two could keep going.

**When Harry agreed, Cedric told him to take a bath.**

"Err, was that supposed to be an insult?" James cocked his head to the side as he tried to decide if he should be getting mad.

"I, don't think so," Lily frowned slowly, "and as he did say he was trying to return a favor, a clue then."

"To take a bath?" Sirius raised a brow, "does soap and water magically fix his egg?"

"Maybe," James agreed thoughtfully, "Like, it's broken or something, and cleaning it will, I don't know, fix it to make the proper noise."

"That's a pretty cheap return," Remus sniffed, "Harry didn't say go poke around the forest and figure it out."

"So he didn't come right out and say it. He's making him work for it," Lily shrugged, "at least he's making an attempt, not everyone would have even done that."

The boys were all still too mad at Cedric for one upping Harry on this particular night to feel real gratitude yet.

**Harry did not get it. Cedric repeated for him to take a bath, and take the egg, and ah, mull things over. It'll help.**

"This is getting weirder and weirder," Sirius' frown deepend. "He's not even saying to clean the egg, Merlin I don't even know what he's trying to say."

"Have I mentioned how much I dislike him lately," James grumbled, "enough with the riddles man, Harry gets more than enough of that."

Harry may full heartedly agree with his dad, and thanked him for the defense, but was internally telling his gut to shut up and stop wringing itself anytime someone said a bad word about Cedric.

**Harry could not think of reply to that as Cedric tacked on that Harry could even use the prefects bathroom. Telling him exactly where it was on the fifth floor,**

Remus let out a surprised little chuckle though, stating, "okay, that right there was his repayment for the dragon. You're going to love that place, best bathroom in the castle."

It took Harry a moment to get past how odd Cedric's comment was to look back at Remus and ask, "you've been in there?"

"I certainly prefered it to sharing with these loons," Remus agreed, "whoevers the worst in your year about hogging the shower, Sirius beats them."

Sirius happily stuck his tongue out at him, running his hand through his hair with great importance as he stated, "I have a higher standard to hold than your grungy arse, had to keep all the attention off of you and my looks were the easiest way by far."

"You suffer so much for me," Remus told him deadpan.

Harry was going to ask how Remus even knew how to get in, but then decided that was a stupid question, as clearly the Marauders had yet to come across any room in the castle they didn't know about.

**and even the password to get in. Then he bid Harry goodnight as he went back to Cho.**

Lily shook her head as she realized these boys picking at each other had actually managed to distract her, but now the curiosity was right back on what on earth Cedric was up to with that odd insert of his. She did certainly agree with Remus though, if Harry never made prefect, he should get in there when he had the chance, it was more than worth it.

**Harry walked back to Gryffindor Tower alone. That had been extremely strange advice.**

"That about covered it, yeah," James muttered.

**Why would taking a bath help anything? Was Cedric having a go at him?**

"Well I would hope not," Sirius snapped at once. "Some payback for what you did for him."

"Doesn't seem his type," Lily shook her head, "no, he was trying to help Harry in his own way, I'm sure of it."

**Was he trying to make Harry look like a fool, so Cho would like him even more by comparison?**

Remus opened, then closed his mouth, quickly stalling his comment about how Cedric didn't need to do that, he clearly already had Cho's affection. He cared about Harry of course, but he wasn't quite sure how Harry would take Remus making joking comments like that like he would towards Sirius or James.

Sirius had no such qualms and blurted out, "nah, you clearly cover that all on your own Harry, I'm positive Cho's heard all about your lovely Valentine or-"

"What was it you were telling me about some ceiling incident Mum?" Harry spoke over Sirius with a challenging look, "I don't think I quite got that story."

"Read, quick keep going," James hissed and Sirius made quick work of doing so over a smirking Harry.

Remus was watching with self annoyance, he always hated how whenever his werewolf status was brought up he fell back on being a self conscious idiot. Of course Harry wouldn't have cared, he'd already been making and receiving plenty of jokes.

**Harry had to wake up an extremely hungover Fat Lady to get inside past her irritation at being woken up.**

"Well that's her fault," Lily chuckled much to Sirius' red faced horror, though he relaxed slightly when he realized Lily wasn't saying what he'd been afraid of. "As a house portrait, she really should know better."

She still had a knowing look in her eye that told both boys quite clearly she was fully prepared to give that story to Harry the next time he asked, so neither of them wanted to linger.

**He climbed into the common room and found Ron and Hermione having a blazing row.**

"Well that's always nice to walk in on," Remus said in only mild surprise, this had only come a little faster than expected after all.

"Here's hoping it doesn't turn into another no speaking one," Lily groaned. She was in fact hoping for the opposite, maybe Ron would finally admit what was bothering him all night, if not to Hermione, than at least to himself so that this could go a bit smoother.

**Standing as far apart as they could, Hermione was shouting at him that if he didn't like her choice of dates, she had a solution for him!**

**Ron demanded what that could be just as loudly, and she screamed back that next time there was a ball, to ask her first, and not as a last resort!**

James sucked in air through his teeth, before nodding and saying, "okay, Hermione wins that one."

"No arguments here," Sirius agreed.

**Ron mouthed wordlessly as she turned to leave. Ron looked back at Harry, still struggling for speech as he tried to say she'd completely missed his point.**

"Ah, no dear," Lily corrected, "I do believe that's you."

"How long do you think it'll take him to catch on?" Remus asked with honest curiosity.

"Hopefully sooner rather than later," James chuckled.

Harry was simply frowning at the lot of them, perfectly clear what they were talking about, but still somehow knowing that nothing really came of this for a few more years to come, something he was honestly quite grateful for.

**Harry did not respond, he liked talking to Ron again to much to speak his mind,**

"Which is," Sirius prompted when Harry still hesitated, but did indeed admit

"That Ron shouldn't have gone with Padma, but it was sort of too late by then."

"There are worse ways you could have put that," Lily shrugged.

"Though blunt usually works the best," Remus smirked, "so I'm not sure if even that would have gotten through to him."

**but he somehow thought that Hermione had gotten the point much better than Ron had.**

"I know that's true," Sirius agreed as he gave the book to Harry.

* * *

*In all honesty, no, I really don't think the Marauders understand the Room of Requirements in the same aptitude that Harry does next year. I think they would have found it more along the line like the twins had, a convenient place to hid at one time or something that they never found again, much like Remus had just joked about. Honestly, I doubt any students really do before the DA through Harry, it seemed more like a house-elf secret before Dobby shared.

**Fun fact, JK only added this moment because a lot of people were apparently mispronouncing her name. I saw the first movie before I got invested in the books, so I have a tendency to pronounce them the way the movies do, Cedric's last name becomes one of the most recurring corrections between me and friends for that.


	25. RITA SKEETER'S SCOOP

This chapter officially marks the most chapters I've done for this series. I know GoF isn't the longest book so this'll happen again, it's just a really big step for me to realize that I'm going from less than twenty-five chapters in the last three to almost forty in this one; but hey I am halfway done! Thank you all for your endless reading of this!

* * *

 

Harry couldn't say he was particularly happy with where the last chapter had ended. He in no way wanted to live through another blow out fight of Ron and Hermione's, his sympathetic feelings for Hagrid were still leaving him wanting to run down to that hut right now and make sure his friend was okay, and as always that tournament and the next task hovered just on the edge of his mind, ready any moment to lash out and remind him of just how much worse his life could get if he got complacent. He just knew that if he had all his memories he could be telling his family right off the bat all the bad to come, save them the trouble and worry of trying to figure this out along with him, but wanting had never really gotten him anything, so he flipped to the next chapter with a heavy mind.

**Gryffindor's were much quieter on the end run of their holiday, many yawning complaints punctuating their avoided homework. Hermione was one of the few avoiding this, as the next morning Harry spotted her bushy head again. After he asked, she confessed she'd had to use nearly a whole jar of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion to keep it up last night.**

"My parents would be thrilled," James chuckled.

At Harry's confused look, James realized he'd never mentioned, "oh yeah, my parents invented that." All while mussing up his own hair for emphasis.

Harry wasn't sure if he was supposed to be laughing or not, but when Lily read his look correctly she properly explained, "I do believe it was his mother's way of trying to keep her husband, and wayward son at some restraint. It didn't work, but it is how they built most of their fortune, the rest hadn't been very well kept."

"Hope someone informed you at some point you inherited the irony," Remus tried to laugh at the unpleasant reminder, though hopefully at least the Ministry at some point would have told Harry of this.

**She added that it was much too much work to be doing every day,**

"Can't really blame her for that though," Remus agreed.

**while cuddling with her cat.**

**Ron and Hermione seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement not to talk about last night.**

"Better than how I was picturing it," Lily grimaced.

"I was hoping for a little more than just an argument," Sirius pouted, "those two really should have more than just a talk."

"I preferred it," Harry disagreed, "at least I didn't have to deal with the awkward conversation that would have been."

"Don't be such a romantic Harry," James smirked.

**Instead they were being more formal to each other than normal. Harry broke into their uneasy silence by explaining all about Maxime and Hagird.**

"Not like you had anything else to share about that night," Sirius snorted.

**Hermione was at first surprised by the news of Hagrid's half-human status, but didn't have nearly the reaction of Ron.**

"Okay, I'll take that," James smiled, pleased at least one of Harry's friends had their same initial reaction. She'd been that way about Remus as well, but it was always good to know that extended.

**She did admit that she'd had an idea about him, of course he couldn't be a full giant as they were twenty feet tall,**

Harry blinked in surprise as he tried to imagine that, clearly even the dragon for scale hadn't been accurate enough.

**but she couldn't understand the prejudiced against them either, it was the same ignorance as werewolves.**

"While not entirely accurate," James sniffed.

"It's a close approximation," Remus muttered.

**Ron looked like he was going to argue with her for a moment,**

"With what?" Sirius raised a sharp brow, clearly ready to give a snappy reply right back.

"Don't know," Harry shrugged, "he never answered."

**but clearly decided against it, instead turning back to the homework he'd been ignoring over break.**

"Ah the righteous and bitter end," Lily agreed.

**Harry was having a hard time concentrating, but instead was starting to feel nervous again.**

Harry groaned and muttered something under his breath, half wishing he could go back and dwell on that ball again.

**The date of the next tournament felt a lot closer from this side of Christmas,**

"Was afraid of that," James muttered, shifting in his seat a bit at the approaching thought.

**and he had no clue what to do about his egg. He began opening it at least once a day to the wailing noise, but nothing new every happened.**

"You know doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is a sign of insanity," Remus pleasantly informed him.

Harry gave him a halfhearted glare, like he wanted to demand for some better ideas, but decided he'd only be more annoyed when he actually got a good answer.

**He pried at his mind for some hint of what the noise could be, but never got up to anything useful. He instead tried shaking the egg, or asking it question,**

"At least there's a different attempt," James smiled.

**and still nothing changed. Then he chucked it across the room, which didn't make a different, though he wasn't surprised that time.**

"I'm sure it made you feel better though," Sirius gave a smirk he was sure was helpful.

**Harry had not forgotten the hint that Cedric had given him,**

"Kind of hard to forget about such an odd moment honestly," Remus agreed.

**but he was not going to be taking advice from him if he could avoid it.**

"And I honestly can't blame you," Lily shook her head ruefully, "but that vindictive streak is only going to hurt you."

Harry huffed and muttered something indistinct.

**Cedric's advice hadn't even seemed helpful the more he reflected. At least Harry had told him outright what was coming, Cedric's idea of a fair exchange had been cryptic at best.**

"Yeah, my feelings," James nodded.

**He wouldn't be taking that from the man who was now walking down hallways with Cho in hand.**

"Well now he's just rubbing it in," Sirius grumbled.

**Lessons returned and while Harry stashed away the egg in his trunk, the golden object seemed to way as heavily on him as his bag.**

"You might benefit from that though," Remus tried to say without a smile, "an idea might strike you at any time if you keep chewing on it."

"Actually, I find that not thinking on something actually leads to better ideas when it pops back up later," James countered.

"I'm sure you two could discuss this all day," Lily cut them off.

**Snow was still thick and fast on the grounds as they headed down to Care of Magical Creatures, but as Ron pointed out, at least the skrewts catching everything on fire would keep them warm.**

"There's the bright side!" Sirius chirped.

**When they arrived though, their normal teacher was nowhere in sight, instead a new lady stood in Hagrid's spot.**

"You said what now?" James demanded, trying to lean over Harry.

Harry nudged him back out of the way, still frowning down at the papers as a nasty feeling was starting to grow in him. Not towards this woman in particular...but something bad about this.

**She barked at their approach,**

"Well I dislike her already, using my phrases," Sirius had his eyes narrowed suspiciously at the pages and missed the groans.

**telling them they were late.**

**Harry asked where Hagrid was, and she introduced herself as Professor Grubbly-Plank, and that she would be the temporary teacher for this class.**

"Why?" Lily yelped first.

"If we knew, I'm sure you wouldn't be asking," Remus muttered, earning himself a scowl but allowing Harry to continue reading with increasing agitation.

**Harry repeated where Hagrid was, and she merely stated he was indisposed.**

"Indisposed," Sirius repeated the word slowly and carefully.

"You don't think this is still him being upset over Maxime?" James frowned. "I mean come on man, I'd be upset to, but this is kind of..." he trailed off with a sad shake of his head.

**Harry recognized the unpleasant laughter behind him,**

"Now who's the only person I can think of laughing at a time like this?" Sirius growled.

**and turned surprised to see Malfoy and his Slytherins'.**

"Sometimes I hate it when I'm right," Sirius finished his rhetorical question.

**All of them looked gleeful,**

"All of them," Lily couldn't help but groan, having grown quite tired of Harry categorizing all Slytherin's by Malfoy.

"Yep," Harry fully embraced that one this time, though explained, "but I get the feeling most of them were smiling not to see Hagrid for once. He wasn't exactly ah, a popular teacher." Harry's face showed quite clearly he didn't agree with that statement, he'd stick by Hagrid no matter his poor choice in lessons, but yes even some of the Gryffindors had looked rather relieved not to see him for once.

**and none of them looked surprised to see the new teacher**

"What is going on?" Remus asked slowly.

"Oh but when I ask that, you mock me," Lily grumbled at his side.

**Grubbly-Plank took no notice of any of this as she instructed all of them to follow her. They treaded behind her, past the Beauxbatons horses shivering in their pins,**

"I imagine those in particular aren't used to our climates," Remus muttered to himself, as their winters tended to be a bit harsher than the greater France that wasn't in the mountains. Then again, maybe Beauxbatons was somewhere in the Alps or the likes, so he let it go.

**The trio followed, but Harry glanced back over his shoulder at Hagrid's cabin, noticing all the curtains drawn shut, and worried if he was sick?**

Lily cooed, wriggling on the spot as she pictured the poor dear needing a cup of tea and a blanket that was across the room, too sick to go and fetch it. Hagrid was not known for falling ill, so if that was it then this must be bad. Hopefully Madam Pomfrey had been down to see him and Harry would go and confirm this.

**Harry instead caught up to the teacher and again asked why Hagrid wasn't hear, and she told him not to worry about it, as if he were being nosy.**

"Well normally I'd agree," James said, his tone explaining the exact opposite.

"But as you consider Hagrid a friend, I think she's being to crisp," Sirius sniffed.

**Harry snapped back he was worrying, and where he was?**

**She pretended not to hear him.**

"Well that was just rude," Remus huffed.

**Instead leading them to the fringes of the forest, where a unicorn was tethered.**

"Darn," Sirius sighed, "I kind of wanted to see another professional try and handle those skrewts. Prove to the lot of them it's not all Hagrid's fault they're hard to manage."

"I think I'm relieved," Remus disagreed, "since we've well established Hagrid probably shouldn't even have those. Having someone like a substitute teacher finding out about them probably wouldn't be helping him feel better right now.

**Most of the girls oohed at the sight of it, while Lavender whispered how beautiful it was, and how it had been caught?**

"It's not that hard if you know what you're doing," Remus began babbling at once. "What you want to do is get some raw, precious metal untampered-"

"Thank you, Professor Lupin," Sirius quickly cut him off before he launched into an hour's worth of lecture notes. "Either let the teacher talk or give Harry the highlights later when I can avoid you."

Remus stuck his tongue out at him for now.

**The steeds coat was so white it made the surrounding snow gray in comparison. Its golden hooves were pawing nervously against the powder while it tossed its horned head at their approach.**

**Grubbly-Plank snapped her arm out, catching Harry in the chest before he could move closer as she instructed only the girls were to approach closer, they preferred a woman's touch.**

"Sexist beasts," James pouted. "You know that can really hurt a guy's feelings."

Lily was giggling too hard into her hand to respond.

**She and the girls continued forward, while Harry turned to Ron and whispered if he had any ideas where Hagrid was?**

**Ron began to suggest something about the skrewts**

"I really don't think a skrewt could hurt him _that_ badly," Sirius winced at the thought.

**but Malfoy cut off behind them it was just him shamefully hiding his ugly mug.**

"Wish you were," James snapped back.

**Harry regretfully turned to demand of him, but then Malfoy handed out a newspaper.**

"Oh this can't be good," Lily groaned, as it had yet to mean anything remotely that this whole book when it came to a paper.

Harry was getting a nasty feeling rearing inside him in full agreement with her, now positive this bit of paper had everything to do with Hagrid.

**Harry snatched as he and all his doormats crowded around him to read the big head title: Dumbledore's Giant Mistake**

"Oh no," Lily groaned at once with an already settling since of doom.

"I am completely sure she did," James growled right back, his eyes already narrowing with hate for this.

"How does she have the right to do this?" Harry demanded. "First me, now Hagrid, we haven't done a thing to her, why's she doing this?"

"You're asking something that does not have an easy answer," Remus sighed. "I have no idea how to explain her, or the people who read this garbage which only encourages her."

"I still say Harry and Hagrid should do something about her," Sirius sniffed.

**The paper began by stating Dumbledore as the eccentric title he was, and how controversial most of his teachers were,**

James and Sirius already felt on edge, something spiteful ready to be shot out at a moment's notice as their minds flickered to one person in particular. If Skeeter was going to span this article over all of Dumbledore's appointments, this could end up even worse for more than Hagrid.

**the most recent appointment that of ex Auror Moody, a jinx happy man who shouldn't be let around kids.**

"Well that's a little harsh," Remus couldn't help a little smirk. "I'm sure he hasn't gotten that bad."

"Remember who you're hearing this from," Lily reminded, choosing not to point out that from what she'd heard so far, that had actually sounded fairly accurate.

**Moody was a law abiding citizen compared to the part human in staff.**

Harry could sense someone wanting to cut him off again with a string of protests for that statement, but Harry was getting a little desperate now to see what Skeeter was really going to say about his friend so pressed on.

**Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from Hogwarts in his third year,**

"I sincerely doubt he admitted that to you," Sirius grumbled under his breath.

**had been gamekeeper at the school for nearly fifty years under Dumbledore employment, but last year he'd gained an upgrade as Care of Magical Creatures teacher through mysterious influences,**

"Mysterious influence?" Lily raised a sharp brow. "How about how knowledgeable he is over creatures? I say that's plenty influential."

**over many more qualified applicants.**

Remus felt bad about it, but honestly he may have given credit to that one at least. No matter how much he liked Hagrid, he clearly wasn't particularly good at this field. That didn't mean he wouldn't be as outraged as anyone if he lost the job, Hagrid was working on it.

**An alarmingly large and ferocious-looking man,**

Harry muttered something foul under his breath about that.

**Hagrid had been using his title to terrify his students with gruesome creatures.**

"Flobberworms and hippogriffs are hardly horrific," James scoffed.

Lily's mind flickered to the idea of the skrewts, which she'd classify as fairly horrifying, but in no way wanted to give Rita a point so didn't acknowledge it.

**Dumbledore had done nothing against the man despite many student complaints maiming's, and of how frightening everyone found him.**

"Only one kids gotten hurt and it was his bleeding fault, Hagrid hasn't maimed anyone!" Sirius snapped in outrage at that pure fiction.

**Reports of being attacked by a hippogriff,**

As that was of course what Sirius had meant, Harry forced himself to keep reading slightly louder, even though he more than agreed with the others muttered insistence that was his idiotic fault.

**and nasty flobberworm bites had been given by Draco Malfoy.**

"Did he really just say that?" James demanded, now looking faint at the levels of idiocy. "Anyone with a brain knows that flobberworms don't have teeth!"

"Whoever agreed to have this in the paper has got to know how much bull this is," Lily agreed.

**He went on to say how everyone hated Hagrid, they were just too scared to admit it.**

**Hagrid clearly knew about this and cared nothing about it, as recently this year he'd admitted to illegally breeding his own invention of Blast-Ended Skrewts,**

"Oh Hagrid, you didn't," Remus groaned into his hands.

Lily was rubbing furiously at her forehead, her mind suddenly scrambling to try and think of a way to get him out of this mess as she offered, "well, it could be her word against his. Unless she was somehow recording the conversation verbally, she couldn't prove Hagrid said that. Honestly I don't really believe he did, she's dastardly enough to find out, well some other way."

"That's only mildly encouraging," James huffed.

**highly dangerous crosses between manticores and fire-crabs.**

Remus couldn't help but roll his eyes as he thought back to first hearing about these things, and not exactly pleased he'd been right in the end.

**This was a highly illegal offense that should have been handled by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical creatures, but clearly Hagrid found himself above such things.**

Lily opened her mouth to snap something back, considered it, then closed it and slumped back. Yeah, Hagrid should pay a fine or something for that one at least, but certainly not on account of someone as vile as Skeeter putting him in this light.

**All this not enough, Skeeter had even found that Hagrid was no pure-blood like he'd claim,**

"When has he ever pretended otherwise?" James snapped at once. "Not that anyone should even bother asking in the first place, but even if you did he'd have the right not to answer like he does!"

**but in fact a half giant, his mother being Fridwulfa, whereabouts unknown.**

"Why does she know that?" Harry's frown deepened. "I didn't even think Hagrid knew that, the way he was talking to Maxime about her."

"I, honestly have no clue," Lily's tone matched Harry's. "I suppose the Ministry might have a registry of all known giants left in Britain, whether they have locations for them or not. Skeeter could have gotten ahold of that and picked any name on the list."

"What she calls facts are so loose I'd believe that," Remus shook his head in disgust.

**Creatures known for being violent that had decimated their own numbers with their wars, they were also known supporters of You-Know-Who during his reign.**

Harry fidgeted uneasily with the pages, thinking that this seemed truth enough with all Ron had told him as well. He thought back to how Rita had painted him in her previous articles, and his worry increased that now people would be thinking all this stuff of Hagrid as well.

**It seemed that Hagrid had inherited his mother's bloodthirsty ways.**

"How on earth could she say such a thing?" Remus snarled in outrage. "Hagrid's one of the kindest people you could ever meet! I can only think of a handful of times I've ever even seen him shout at someone!"

"I don't care her reasoning's," Sirius snarled. "She's going to regret them."

**In a shocking twist, the man had seemed to form a friendship with the fame Boy Who Lived, could this perhaps be a plot to get closer to the boy who caused He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's downfall? Harry Potter could be dangerously unaware of his friend's heritage.**

Even though Harry had really only found out less than a week after this article, it didn't change his opinion that he wouldn't have cared no matter when he found out. Hagrid could have introduced himself as such and Harry would still look at him the same way, so Skeeter suggesting otherwise only managed to grind him up father.

**Dumbledore seemed to have no care of informing young Mr. Potter of these dangers.**

"Dumbledore'll sooner turn on Hagrid than eat Fawkes," James snapped.

"And any students who complain to him otherwise can see the door," Sirius agreed.

**Harry finished and looked up to see Ron with an open mouth, recovering enough to whisper how she'd found out?**

"That's a very good question," Lily sniffed. "Hagrid's hardly spoken of this to anyone, we only know of one! Who's she been talking to to get ahold of all this?"

"You don't think Maxime did it?" Remus asked uneasily.

"I should bleeding hope not," James shot off at once. "She'd be under just as much bombardment as he is, seeing as she's the exact same thing!"

"Maybe she made a deal with Skeeter, Maxime would share all this if her name was forever left out of it," Sirius said in disgust. "Besides," he added in heavier tones, "I think that's just a little naive. It's really not that hard to work out if you do a little digging, most people just wouldn't bother to think on it. We know that Skeeter's not that kind though if she really wants to, my question is why Hagrid? What'd he do to deserve this?"

"You think it's just second hand so she could go after Dumbledore?" Remus offered. "He was mentioned just as often, his face his public enough Skeeter would always enjoy taking shots at him, and his staffing choices are a brilliant way to do so."

Harry sat there chewing on his tongue while all of this was going on around him. None of this was completely lining up with what he was feeling, something more directly involved in Rita's means to pull this off...but then he noticed that they'd mostly wound themselves down around him. Still angry as all get out and wanting to go give Skeeter a good shove up her nose with her own quill, they were now much more antsy to hear from Harry what the fallout of this would be for Hagrid, which Harry unhappily turned back to the book to oblige.

**Harry though directed at Malfoy what he'd meant about how everyone hated Hagrid!**

"Didn't exactly lock in on that part," Sirius rolled his eyes, "that was just Malfoy being Malfoy."

**Gesturing wildly at the paper about the stupid statement of getting a flobberworm bite, they didn't have teeth!**

"Which I would hope anyone with a pair of eyes reading that tosh would make them understand the level of credibility it should be given," Lily stated.

"Which is none at all," James finished.

**Crabbe was laughing, clearly pleased with himself for the lie.**

"I doubt he had the capacity to even come up with that on his own," Sirius snarked. "Malfoy probably spent hours coming up with that load!"

**Malfoy was more than pleased with himself as he told this should put an end to Hagrid's teaching.**

"What does he have against Hagrid?" Remus demanded of nothing. "He's been set on getting him fired from the beginning, and for what?"

"No, bleeding, clue," James got out through gritted teeth. Truth be told they were all well aware it was simply Malfoy seeing anyone who wasn't like him shouldn't even have the standard of living as more than a servant, but it didn't make it any less terrible to hear.

**Malfoy had always thought he'd just swallowed too much skele-gro, now the parents were going to have kittens about this half-giant.**

"They can all bite me!" Sirius barked.

**They'd be worried about their kids being eaten.**

"You'll be top of the list," James pleasantly informed.

**Harry began shouting at him, but then their teacher snapped at them to pay attention.**

They all startled just a bit, that paper having completely erased from their minds where Harry even was.

**Grubby-Plank was still discussing the creature, but Harry was so angry he didn't hear a word of it.**

"It's good to know you don't get so easily distracted by shiny objects," Remus mumbled under his breath.

**Class was dismissed, and Parvati wasted no time in stating she hoped that teacher stayed.**

"Why hasn't Hermione cursed her yet?" Lily raged. "I've had almost as much reason to despise her as Malfoy lately!"

"It really does hurt that we seem to be the only ones upset on Hagrid's behalf," Harry agreed bitterly, thinking only of himself and his two friends right off the bat.

**It was good to have finally gotten a proper class over something as gorgeous as a unicorn, and not monsters.**

"That class has to show you all manner of creatures," Remus instantly corrected, trying to lighten his scowl like he'd correct any complaining student, "not just the pretty ones. It's not your job to like them, but to learn about them."

'Still think I could do without Hagrid introducing more of them,' Lily thought to herself.

**Harry shot back at her what about Hagrid?**

**Parvati was unconcerned as she said he could still have his gamekeeper's job.**

"That's not the point!" James shot back. "Hagrid has just as much right to that job as anyone, and he's never done something so egregious to lose it. He knows his creatures, he's just at a learning curve!"

**Parvati's attitude had been very frosty towards Harry since the ball, and while Harry reflected he should have given her more attention during the night, she seemed to have had a good time without him.**

"Credit that you at least acknowledged that after the fact," Lily sighed, "since I doubt you, or even Ron, apologized."

Harry gave her a blank look, it hadn't even occurred to him.

**She certainly enjoyed telling anyone who would listen about her plans with a Beaxbatons boy.**

"I can't even begin to pretend to care," Sirius grumped.

**Hermione caught up with them in the Great Hall, going on about the good lesson,**

James' temper looked ready to fire again at Hermione agreeing with Parvati, but Remus quickly cut him off, "she doesn't know about the paper yet, in fact neither of those girls did." He also couldn't help but rebuke Lily, "Give Hermione a chance."

**saying how she hadn't learned half of that lesson yet,**

"Now that I find hard to believe," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I'm not shocked," James shrugged, "she spends more of her time studying spells than creatures. Can't expect Hermione to know everything."

**Harry cut her off by shoving the paper under her nose.**

**Hermione reacted like Ron, demanding to know how she'd found out about this?**

**Harry had no clue, as he'd never told anyone. He guessed that she'd been mad about Hagrid not spilling beans on Harry so went looking for some on him.**

Lily's mouth flopped open at the idea while James began steaming at once. "That's the pettiest reason in existence for doing this!"

"Can't pretend I'm surprised if you're right though," Remus groaned as he fidgeted with the baby in his lap to keep him entertained during this unpleasant mood.

**Hermione offered Skeeter could have heard when Hagrid had been talking to Maxime.**

Something was going off in the back of Harry's head as he heard that, absolutely confident Hermione was right and waiting for Ron to agree he may have picked her out.

**Ron said they would have noticed her.**

"I don't know," Sirius shook his head, "that garden was a slew of loose conversations that shouldn't have been overheard. I can imagine Skeeter getting away with some charms and blending in to even sneak up on a few."

**Then Ron added on that she wasn't even supposed to be there that night, Dumbledore had banned her from the grounds.**

"That's yet to stop her," James snorted.

**Harry offered that she might have her own Invisibility Cloak,**

"Perish the thought," Remus crinkled his nose in distaste of what all she could do with a thing like that. Even a cheap one could cause problems.

**how she'd use it to spy on people's conversations.**

**Hermione pointed out that the two of them had done that.**

"That was an accident," Harry muttered to himself while he saw them all try to stifle just a bit of laughter for Hermione being right on that one.

**Ron blustered that had been an accident! What was Hagrid been thinking, saying all that stuff out in the open for anyone to hear?**

"Well Ron is kind of right on that one," Sirius sighed. "Hagrid should have had that in his cabin or something, less chances of what happened, well, happening."

"Nobody should have been listening in in the first place," Lily shot back. "Anyone should be perfectly entitled to have a conversation wherever they want without being listened in on."

"Yeah, but the more private ones, I mean you really don't want to risk having those walked in on for any reason," James shook his head, as he thought back to all the times they'd practiced their animagus training in the Shrieking Shack for this very reason.*

**Harry decided they'd go see him after their Divination class, tell him he had to come back.**

"Oh, this can't be the reason Hagrid's hiding in his cabin!" Lily yelped. "I'm still convinced he must be sick on top of this, there's no way he'd..." but she trailed off miserably as they all realized that yes, Hagrid could very well be trying to hide himself away after seeing this. The idea of him losing his job because of something like this would be devastating to him.

"Is he not even going to try and fight back," Sirius pouted. "Keep going to classes until someone tries to forcefully remove him, that would be a sight."

"I'm worried that could only cause more harm than good," James sighed.

Remus was keeping himself quite for this bit at least, still hoping his name wouldn't come up amongst his friends for this paralleled problem.

**When Hermione didn't immediately agree, Harry demanded of her that she did want him back.**

**Hermione held herself stiffly for a moment, stating she wouldn't deny having enjoyed a proper class for once,**

Lily shook her head sadly, honestly feeling a bit on Hermione's side for that one. The only proper lesson Hagrid could really claim was the Hippogriffs, which had ended in disaster, and those fire-salamanders. Of course she'd have a temper if anyone tried to remove Hagrid from his position, but well, perhaps Hagrid should consider asking for some advice from Grubbly-Plank.

**but hastily tacked on of course she preferred Hagrid at Harry's furious look.**

"That's the least she should have gotten," James muttered bitterly, "I'd have started shouting at her."

**That evening after dinner,**

"I think I'm actually disappointed to have missed that evenings Divination lesson," Remus huffed under his breath, "they're usually good for a laugh."

"Not this time," Lily agreed just as quietly back.

**they did indeed head down and knocked on their friend's door, but though they could hear Fang begging to come out, no one answered.**

"Maybe he's out on the grounds doing his Gamekeeping as well," Sirius offered without hope. "He doesn't always take Fang to do that."

"Why would he be doing that and not his teaching?" James sighed, "He's either sick or avoiding people, and this doesn't account for both."

"Well I would hope he wouldn't be ignoring them," Lily's lower lip was starting to jut out in the start of a pout. "He must know Harry doesn't care."

**They waited for at least ten minutes, Ron even trying by knocking on a few windows, but then they trudged back to the castle, Hermione demanding what he was avoiding them for? Hagrid must know they didn't care.**

**It seemed that Hagrid did care, as there wasn't a trace of him that whole week, and they kept with their substitute.**

They were all starting to get very antsy now. Hogwarts without Hagrid just wasn't picturable.

**Malfoy was gloating at every possible opportunity,**

"Of course he was!" Sirius broke and shouted that very loudly. "Because we can't just go one bleeding instance without hearing his opinion about it!"

Harry was rubbing absently at his ear and Remus was having to comfort a now fussy child at the outburst, but no one really looked angry, they were all at their breaking point between the stress of the Tournament and now this. Malfoy just kept managing to push every one of their buttons.

**saying such things as how Harry was the only one missing the elephant man.**

Harry looked as tense and ready to snap at a moment's notice right along with his godfather if this kept up.

"You know," Remus sighed, feeling tense and snappy at having to deal with a wailing child just days after a full moon managing to give him the beginnings of a headache, caught Harry's expression and scolded both him and Sirius. "Just once I'd like to see you lot walk away from a fight. Not everything needs to end in threats."

"Hark, look who's talking," Sirius began grinning at him at once.

Remus looked more than happy to back down, looking pleadingly at the book to keep going to avoid whatever tale Sirius was fixing to share, but it was Lily who said, "No, no, I want to hear this." While reaching out and taking the baby away. Remus now let his head hang as he realized he wasn't getting out of his mouth's timing and instead began fingering his wand like he wanted to sew his lips together in preparation.

Remus sighed and slouched back into the couch, while Sirius had already began without prompting. "Well the first thing that came to my mind was this day before a full moon. Despite everyone protesting however, Moony here decides he's going to go spend a normal day in the school like everyone else, exams were less than a week away and he refused to miss out on classes." Sirius paused to give Remus a winning smile, who was already groaning and grumbling under his breath how much he hated his friends for bringing this up.

"Well by the time potions rolled around," James picked up when Sirius hesitated to long, "we'd almost convinced him to skiv that class and take a nap, we were all going to honestly, since, well since the three of us never liked that class much." By this time, he'd almost grown used to that odd cold spot that lived in his chest for having to revert that story a bit, but for the first time it in no way dampened what he was telling.

Whether Remus noticed this, or just decided to get the worst over, he finished for them, "James got me to agree just as Snape was walking past, so of course the only thing he heard was me agreeing with Prongs it was a good idea to skip class and take a nap. He called me the Marauders yes man," he finished with an ugly scowl.

"Now Moony's a grumpy little thing on his best days before the full moon," Sirius chirped when his friend seemed to want to end the story there, but Harry should know all of these details. "So before either of us could even finish blinking, Remus spun on the spot and cursed him-"

"-In front of a crowded corridor-" James tacked in.

"-which caused old Snivellus tongue to get stuck to the roof of his mouth. It was nice having the silence for a few moments until Madam Pomfrey got him fixed." Sirius finished with the air of one finishing an epic tale.

Harry couldn't help it, and didn't really try to stop it, as he started laughing at the lovely mental image. Even Lily joined in after a moment, giggling like crazy, even if it was a tad righteous considering her ever growing hatred of him of late.

"You two paint me in such a bad light," Remus told them all tragically, though the lingering smile on his face showed no real way to contrast what his tone tried to show. "I was an angel, all the teachers said so."

"They just caught you the least," James waved him off with a crazy smile still in place, his face turning an ugly puce color for a moment before he told Harry, "ah, someone else took the fall for that, so Moony never got in trouble. Don't let him fool you though, he's just as bad as us."

Harry gave him an easy smile, it wasn't hard to guess who had been blamed judging by his dad's expression, but this had finally dragged on long enough he decided he wanted to get back to the book and see how this had played out.

**There was a Hogsmeade visit halfway through January.**

"Are you really telling me you didn't retaliate to any of that stuff?" Lily demanded.

"I really tried not to if I could help it," Harry muttered with regret. He'd had enough practice by now trying to avoid all things Malfoy, but it wasn't always easy.

**Hermione was very surprised that Harry was going,**

"Why wouldn't you?" James yelped.

"Why does Hermione seem to have a constant disagreement with you always going," Sirius rolled his eyes.

**as she reminded the silent common room could help him figure out that egg.**

"I doubt the level of quiet actually helps anything," Remus snorted.

**Harry lied on the spot he didn't need it, he'd almost worked that egg out.**

"I can't even blame you lying to her," Lily sighed, "she acts more like your mother than your friend most days."

"That's rich coming from you," Sirius told her, which she happily ignored.

**Harry felt guilty as she praised him for doing so, but consoled himself he still had five weeks to really work it out, and that was plenty of time.**

"Oh please don't keep thinking like that though," Lily groaned reproachfully. "That deadline will creep right up on you."

Harry tried, and failed, to look innocent of this most likely happening, leaving them all just that little more stressed than they were before, and they hadn't even be aware that was possible.

**Yet if he went to Hogsmeade, he might have a chance of running into Hagrid.**

"I don't see Hagrid in a Three Broomsticks mood," James disagreed.

"Maybe more like his own private storage in his hut," Sirius sighed.

**They passed the Durmstrang ship on the way to the gates, and noticed Viktor Krum had decided to spend his day in swimming trunks on the deck of his ship.**

"Is he mad?" Remus yelped, goosebumps erupting on his skin at the thought.

"He did say it was colder where he came from," Sirius shrugged without remorse. "If he thinks he can handle it without freezing to death, that's his problem."

"You're just so caring of everyone," Lily tisked at him.

Harry hardly noticed them, his mind puzzling why on earth he should think it a good idea to maybe pay more attention to that lake...

**His slim body showed as he climbed onto the side, and dived right in.**

"He's mad!" James balked at the idea.

**Harry stated he was mad as his head came to the surface.**

Sirius was shaking himself vigorously at the idea as well, but was aware enough to smirk at the mimicking pair.

**Hermione pointed out it was colder where he was from, this might be warm to him.**

"Warm is putting it strongly," Lily shivered, wrapping her baby's blanket just a smidge tighter around him.

**Ron voiced that there was still the squid to think about, though he sounded more hopeful than anything.**

Causing a collective snort of laughter from all even if it was an empty threat.

**Hermione noticed the tone and frowned at him, saying he really was nice, and he actually liked Hogwarts better, he'd told her so.**

"Not what I'd go bragging to him about," Remus shook his head, now wondering if Hermione was either trying to, poorly, make him jealous, or actually being as ignorant as Ron about what the two of them were really dancing about.

**Ron did not respond. He really seemed to not be trying to start a row with Hermione, but that hadn't stopped Harry finding a miniature plastic arm under his bed the other day wearing Bulgarian Quidditch robes.**

"Now what on earth would have you making that connection?" Sirius asked redundantly.

**Harry kept his eyes scanning through every shop window they passed, until finally he suggested they try the Three Broomsticks.**

"He's not exactly hard to miss, even bending over something," James shook his head. "I'm sure a quick sweep would have done the job."

Harry didn't respond, he'd still been holding out hope that his eyes had been deceiving him.

**The pub was as crowded as ever, but one quick sweep proved that Hagrid wasn't here either. Harry slumped his way up to the bar, feeling he may as well have stayed behind and listened to that egg wailing after all.**

"I'm surprised you haven't at least tried putting water into the egg or something," Remus tried to offer when he saw how gloomy they all were getting, and at least the egg was a better problem to focus on than Hagrid. "Cedric's tip was odd, but soap and water were clearly heavy hints."

"And give him the satisfaction that he'd both asked out Harry's date, and helped Harry with this," Sirius shot back with a frown.

"Don't curse your nose to spite your face," Lily shrugged, on Remus with that one.

Harry muttered something indistinct about how unhelpful this all was.

**Hermione caught sight of Ludo Bagamn though, grumbling if he was ever in his office?**

"I suppose it is odd to see him out of his office so much," James arched a brow, "tournament aside."

"He's allowed to have social visits, not all Ministry employees are Percy's," Remus said.

**He was sitting in a shadowed corner with goblins.**

"That's not a social visit," Sirius pointed out.

"Well it could be," Lily backed Remus up just for the joy of annoying the other two. "He could have goblin friends." She knew as well as them that goblins didn't have wizard friends, the two rarely interacted outside of contracts and deals, so this was indeed an odd sight.

**Bagman seemed strained in the faint lighting as he spoke to the three, who all had arms crossed and looked menacing in the shade. Harry reflected it was very odd to see this outside of an event, he hadn't seen Bagman looking so tense since the night of the Dark Mark incident.**

"I remember all that," Sirius nodded along. "You think he ever got his money back from whoever stole it?"

"If not, maybe that's what he's talking to them about," Remus cocked his head to the side. "Explaining what happened. Maybe they have some way to track down who robbed him."

"Wouldn't surprise me," James shrugged, "even if they don't work for Gringotts, goblins have this eerie way of tracking down gold."

**Bagman seemed to notice Harry then, and quickly excused himself to come have a word, that boyish face coming back at once.**

Whatever curiosity they held for his situation though vanished in that instant. They felt bad for his troubles, but his continuing to chat up Harry like this still managed to rankle them every time.

**He called a pleasant greeting to Harry, saying how he'd been hoping to run into him.**

"Really? Been hoping the exact opposite," Sirius grumbled, wondering when he'd grown to dislike the mention of both the Quidditch stars running around Hogwarts.

**Then he asked Harry for a private word, asking Ron and Hermione to scoot along.**

"What's he up to now?" James demanded, thinking that if he had to listen to anyone else giving Harry paternal advice lately he'd really lose his temper.

**The two agreed, grabbed their drinks, and went for a table. Bagman led Harry into the opposite corner as far away from everyone as he started by congratulating Harry. He thanked him, but kept silent and waited for the real reason of this, as he could have done this in front of his friends.**

"It's nice of him to at least start polite," Lily rolled her eyes.

**Bagman seemed in no hurry to get to the point, his eyes occasionally flickering back to his goblin guests.**

"What would he be nervous about them for?" Remus asked in surprise. "He's supposed to be asking for their help?"

"Search me," Lily shrugged.

**Bagman noticed Harry staring at them as well, and Bagman explained that it was a nightmare trying to communicate with them as they only spoke Gobbledge-good, and as he only knew one word that meant pickax, it was hard pressed to be talking.**

"Okay, then you should have brought a translator," Sirius rolled his eyes at the absurdities this guy kept pretending was explaining.

**Harry asked what they were doing then, and Bagman quickly gave a nervous laugh before saying they were looking for Crouch.**

Harry only had a moment for his gut to wrench, informing him that was a flat out lie, before a quick shot of pain in his head reminded him quickly to let it go.

"Why would goblins be looking for him?" Remus questioned with a deep frown.

Lily tried to work out, "I guess I can kind of see how they'd be looking for the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, there are foreign goblins after all, but what are they asking Bagman for? They should be up at the Ministry asking all of this."

"Got me," James grumbled, more than happy to move this along.

**Harry asked why they were here then, shouldn't they be at the Ministry?**

**Bagman uneasily answered that he actually didn't know where he was.**

"That's not even that surprising," Sirius snorted, "I don't think I'd call them friends."

**No one did, he'd stopped coming to work.**

"Wait, what?" All five of them yelped in surprise. Even Harry, who knew the least about Crouch, found this mind boggling.

"Did he die?" Lily managed to splutter out first. "That is the only explanation I can fathom for this."

"Bagman wouldn't be talking like this if so," Remus countered, his mind spinning to try and think about this mess.

"What is with the Ministry lately?" Sirius scathed. "Can't seem to find one department that hasn't wanted to make me burn the building down lately."

"At least make sure Mr. Weasley's not there," Harry shrugged much to Sirius' amusement and agreement.

**He'd been gone for weeks now, his assistant Percy had been running things and telling everyone Crouch was ill.**

"I'm really starting to think that you might be onto it Lily," James couldn't help but frown. "Unless Crouch has had something really big happen to him, this is the only way to explain what's up with the Crouch I know." It wasn't a particularly pleasant thought for any, but nobody argued it.

**He'd only been sending in notes lately, but then Bagman quickly tacked on not for Harry to go mentioning that. Didn't want Skeeter finding out, or she'd turn it into another Bertha Jorkins story.**

"And there was a time I praised that journalism and the Ministry never mixed," Lily snorted, Merlin knew Bagman was right in that instance.

**Harry asked if there was any news on her, and Bagman said no, though he had people looking.**

"Of course," Remus rolled his eyes, "like of course you should have months ago."

They were all feeling rather fidgety at the reminder that a body would never be found.

**Harry privately thought it was about time as Bagman explained how odd it was. There were confirmed reports from her family that she had arrived in Albania, but on route to visit another person she'd vanished.**

Sirius was starting to chew on his own tongue to convince himself not to start the speilge of diatribe he wanted to launch because of what that vile rat had done.

**They'd yet to find an explanation, as she wasn't the type to elope.**

"At least that's a kind explanation," James hissed.

**Then Bagman came back to himself, demanding what they were doing talking about all this nonsense.**

"Agreed," Lily couldn't help but huff, "quit being a walking distraction every time you appear."

**Bagman instead asked how Harry's egg was coming.**

"Oh, this again," Sirius' brows shot up in surprise.

"I can't pretend I don't find it sweet he's helping you," Lily frowned, "but I still can't figure out why?"

"Playing favoritism to the Boy Who Lived?" Harry offered bitterly, though somehow even saying it out loud didn't feel right.

**Harry lied again and said he was doing fine.**

"Can't fault you for lying to him though," James smirked.

**Bagman seemed to guess that wasn't the truth, as he lowered his voice and said he'd taken a liking to Harry, since he hadn't volunteered for any of this.**

"Thank you for the reminder," Remus said stiffly.

"Where was this attitude at the ball?" James snapped, "You seemed to find it plenty of fun then."

**His voice kept lowering all the time until Harry was reading his lips,**

"Well he is technically cheating doing this," Sirius shrugged, "but he couldn't have found a better place to do it."

**that all Harry had to do was say the word and Bagman would drop some hints.**

**Harry worded his answer carefully into a question, that he was supposed to be doing this alone,**

"Why are you turning him down?" Lily asked in surprise. Honestly she wouldn't even blame him if he did accept the help, Harry shouldn't have been in this stupid tournament anyways, so anything and anyone he could use to survive it wouldn't be pestered by her.

"I saw him as trying to cheat too much, it just felt different than anything before," Harry shrugged, trying to understand this feeling he had about the old Quidditch player who'd been nothing but kind to him.

**so as not to accuse the head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports of breaking the rules.**

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Remus agreed, his pessimistic mind starting to wonder if this was some part of the tournament and Harry was being set up.

**Bagman agreed that was the case, but no one could deny they wanted a Hogwarts victory.**

**Harry asked if Cedric had been offered help. Bagman's face flickered for a moment before he admitted he hadn't.**

"Probably lying," Remus offered, then explained what he was thinking.

"Wouldn't put it past them," James agreed at once, "that's pretty tricky."

"I've never heard of anything like that in the previous tournaments," Lily cocked her head to the side as she thought it through.

"Maybe no one's ever fallen for it, so no one's ever recorded it," Sirius smirked.

**Harry diverted by promising he didn't need any advice, he pretty much had it all figure out. He wasn't entirely sure of himself why he was turning down the help, but somehow asking from Bagman felt different than asking of his friends or Sirius.**

"Glad I'm above him on the list," Sirius sniffed.

**Before Bagman could keep trying, the twins appeared, offering to buy him a drink.**

"Oh good," James brightened. "This always turns out fun when they're around."

**Bagman looked disappointedly at Harry as he turned down the red heads.**

"Aww, why not," Remus pouted. "I really wish we'd get to hear more about them and their joke shop already."

**Fred and George looked quite as disappointed as Bagman, who was surveying Harry as though he had let him down.**

"He must be a really good actor," Lily shook her head at him, agreeing with the boys he was better spending his time helping out the twins than Harry.

**He excused himself from the lot of them, slipping out of the pub, when the goblins hastily followed.**

"I thought he was trying to explain to them about Crouch?" James did a double take. "What's he ditching them for?" Looking quite as affronted as those goblins probably did.

"That man seems to have no mind," Sirius rolled his eyes, wondering if one to many bludgers had erased his memory of everything lately.

**Harry went back to his friends and explained what happened, and Hermione was shocked at the news. Then pointed out Harry didn't even need the offer, because he said he'd figure it out already.**

**Harry uneasily agreed.**

"You keep telling yourself that Harry," Remus snorted, "I'm sure saying it will get the job done."

Harry stuck his tongue out at him.

**Hermione switched back to disapproving of Bagman, saying Dumbledore wouldn't like to hear about this cheating going on.**

"I still think our ideas better," Sirius said with just a tad of pompousness in his voice no one could miss.

"It was my idea," Remus tried to correct him with a fond smile.

"Making it our idea by default," Sirius countered at once. "You know you get your best ideas just by being around us."

"Why do we put up with him again?" Lily asked the baby in her lap, who merely babbled as answer.

**Then she hoped he was at least doing the same for Cedric, which Harry corrected Bagman had denied. Ron scoffed and said who cared about Diggory anyways, which Harry did agree with.**

"Sounds like he doesn't need it on this task," James quietly muttered to himself.

**Hermione switched to talking about those Goblins, and Harry explained what Bagman had told him.**

**Ron's first comment was to say Percy was poisoning his boss,**

Five collective snorts of laughter were given for Ron's wit, or at least what they hoped was a joke.

**as he probably thought if Crouch croaked he'd get the job.**

"He'd be the youngest ever," Lily couldn't help but point out, "it's one step closer to what he's really aiming for."

"Don't encourage him," James scolded.

**Hermione gave Ron a don't-joke-about-things-like-that look,**

"Why do you have names for all of these looks?" Sirius demanded between cackles. "How often do you get them?"

"I made a chart once," Harry told him with an innocent enough smirk, "but she burned it and made me swear not to say."

"Well she's not here now," James pleaded.

Harry shook his head adamantly though, insisting "oh no, I'm not doing anything to get on Hermione's bad side."

**and instead said those goblins were still odd, shouldn't they be talking to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures rather than Crouch anyways.**

"Also true," Lily agreed, "I guess the two departments might be delegating, with someone so young at the helm or-"

"Lily," James cut off his wife, "I have begged you not to try and get into office politics with me unless it's Harry's nap time."

Remus gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, he'd received that comment a few times in his life as well.

**Harry reminded how many languages Crouch knew, maybe they were looking for an interpreter.**

"He is not the only interpreter in that Ministry," Sirius adamantly shook his head, "I cannot be wrong about that."

**Ron tried to laugh her off, asking why she was so worked up over the poor 'ickle goblins now? Was she going to start another group named S. P. U. G.? Society for the Protection of Ugly Goblins?**

"While a little on the nose," Remus got out through some chortling.

"Credit to Ron for thinking of them," James finished easily.

**Hermione rolled her eyes at him, saying goblins didn't need anyone's help, weren't they listening in Binns class about goblin rebellions?**

"Did she really just ask that with a straight face?" Lily demanded, "I've never met anyone besides her who would answer other than no."

"You know its true when Lily agrees with us," Sirius nodded along.

**Harry and Ron said no together.**

"That about covers the whole school's answer right there," James snorted.

**Hermione answered that they were very clever and more than capable of standing up for themselves, unlike house-elves.**

**Ron was no longer listening, but watching the door and interrupted to say uh-oh.**

"I can imagine Ron said that often when he realized he got her into a tangent," Remus sighed, now watching Sirius and Lily uneasily as he hoped those two fighting wouldn't cause another eruption in here.

**Rita Skeeter had just entered.**

"That is much more cause for uh-oh," Lily puffed up at once, several things on the tip of her tongue she couldn't wait to throw at that person for doing this to first her son, then Hagrid!

**She came in already chatting with her photographer, bought drinks, and went searching for a seat with the trio glaring all the way.**

"You are much kinder than any of us," James snarled, "I'd have booby trapped her chair before she even knew which one she'd be picking."

"I'd pay money to see it," Lily happily agreed.

**She was talking fast and looking very satisfied about something,**

"Ruined somebody else's life already has she?" Sirius got out through gritted teeth.

**which seemed to be why someone didn't want to talk to her?**

"I cannot think of a single reason," Remus stated with transparent sarcasm.

**What had he been doing with those goblins?**

"Waiting for you to ask obviously," Sirius sneered.

**Showing them the sights, how ridiculous that was.**

"Hark, there's some blessed irony, watching her get lied to," Lil scathed. Admittedly she didn't particularly like Bagman, but he was much lower on her list than Skeeter.

**Skeeter was already saying how she should try doing some digging on him, coming up with a snappy title on the spot, but needing a story to come along.**

"She comes up with those titles before she even-" James sputtered off when he realized how absurd it was to be criticizing this excuse for a writer.

**Harry loudly shouted that she was already set on ruining someone else's life.**

"Oh Harry," Lily groaned. "Are you trying to start trouble now?"

"He's a bit of a late bloomer," Sirius couldn't help but grin, "but I'm willing to encourage this behavior, especially towards people like her."

"I wasn't going to be able to leave without saying something to her for what she did to Hagrid," Harry snapped at no one in here.

**This caught Skeeter's attention at once, beaming at the sight of Harry as she asked him to join her.**

"She, cannot, actually be, that, oblivious," Remus gaped at the idea that she was still putting on pleasantries around him!

**Harry snapped back he wouldn't come near her with a ten-foot broomstick.**

"Never get tired of your word choices," James praised.

**Demanding what she'd gone and done that to Hagrid for?**

"Because she got off topic of you for five seconds and needed someone else to harass," Remus sneered.

**Skeeter raised a penciled brow at him, stating people had a right to that truth.**

"Not at the expense of a good man's job," Lily spat back.

**Harry shouted back no one cared that he was half-giant!**

**The whole pub had gone silent by now, Rosmerta didn't even seem to notice the drink she was pouring was overflowing.**

"You know it's got to be dramatic for her not to be stepping in," Sirius shook his head.

**Skeeter recovered quick enough, digging in her bag for her Quill and asking Harry if he'd like to give an exclusive piece then, on the Hagrid he knew.**

"No, I mean it," Remus insisted like he was sure he was talking to a dummy. "She cannot actually think he'd still give her a breadcrumb, let alone-"

"She's either the most oblivious person in the world," Sirius shook his head in disgust.

"Or the most heartless for it not even registering," James finished.

"I choose the second," Lily sniffed.

**He could give details of their unlikely friendship, how he may even be a father substitute?**

James nearly snapped at that one. He was sick and tired of every single male being compared to him as of late when Harry had never even met him! Glory his son was technically the same age as him now meeting him for the first time! Sirius he'd hold back, Bagman was inconsequential and more mildly annoying, but Hagrid actually had been there for some of Harry's most important firsts! Hogwarts letter, Diagon Alley, even his first Quidditch game, and it wasn't bleeding fair. The only thing actually stopping him was that it wasn't Harry who'd thought it, just Skeeter spurting off some more. Still, it wasn't making him feel much better when he glanced at Harry and saw that he wasn't exactly looking to deny the comparison, he was too busy still glaring at nothing that he wished was Skeeter herself.

**Hermione stood up, her butterbeer clutched in her hand as though it were a grenade.**

"There's a pleasant thought," Sirius chuckled low in his throat, trying to help his best mate move past these constant pangs that must be breaking his heart. James didn't seem to hear him.

**Shouting at Skeeter that she'd just do anything for a story.**

**Rita snapped at Hermione she was being a silly little girl,**

"Silly little girl?" Lily raised an imperious brow. "She has no idea who she's talking to."

"I can't wait for her to find out," Sirius said with a wolfish grin.

**and not to talk about these things.**

"Not surprised," Remus scoffed, "of course she'd treat Hermione like dirt, she's not a name."

**Skeeter knew things about Hermione that would make her hair curl.**

"Then why don't you publish your article and be done with it," James rolled his eyes, clearly thinking he was calling her bluff.

**Hermione did not respond, instead marching out with Ron and Hermione at her heels.**

**Harry glanced back long enough to see the green Quick-Quotes Quill already on the move.**

"What on earth is it even recording?" Lily demanded of nothing.

"Nothing good," Remus shook his head, thinking Hermione had just picked quite a fight.

**Ron warned her Hermione would now be her next victim.**

"I really can't see Skeeter writing anything Hermione would care about," James sneered. "She's proven at every turn she doesn't let other people's mocking get to her."

"The only times she's snapped is when someone insulted her intelligence, or friends," Sirius nodded along, that predatory smile still dominant. "Skeeter's done both. Can't wait to see what Hermione pays her back with."

**Hermione was not concerned, but instead shaking with rage as she screamed about that woman going first after Harry, than Hagrid.**

"I will genuinely pay Hermione to assist with this in any and all ways," Remus cackled at the promise of this.

"Another reason you should have stuck around," Lily snarked at him under her breath. He gave her a hurt look for the shot, but wasn't going to start that argument again.

**Ron said he was serious,**

"There's a good idea," Sirius snapped his fingers with pleasure. "Get me involved, I need something to do with my free time, this will bring back some good memories."

"As if you aren't involved in enough," Lily scolded him at once.

**Hermione could get herself into trouble.**

**Hermione didn't think a thing of it, saying that Prophet couldn't scare her into hiding! She was walking so fast the boys were practically jogging to keep up. Harry hadn't seen her this mad since she'd slapped Malfoy.**

"I thank you for that treasured memory," James beamed. They were all still angry at Rita of course, but Hermione's reaction was pure gold to anything they could have done, or in this case were incapable of doing, so cheering her on felt best.

**She went on to say Hagrid wasn't going to be hiding from her anymore, he never should have let that waste of a human do this to him!**

"Couldn't have put it better myself," Lily's smile stretched so wide, she couldn't have been prouder.

**She broke into a run then, back onto the school grounds, and stormed up to Hagrid's house, yelling his name and pounding on his door.**

"That'll give him a start," Sirius stated ruefully, "he might even come bursting out thinking you're in trouble with that."

"Whatever gets him out," Harry shrugged without remorse.

**She only got a bit of yelling in about how that foul Skeeter woman shouldn't have been able to do this to him, and to get outside, he was being- but was cut off by the door opening via Dumbledore.**

Harry read that with such an astounded look that quickly flushed in embarrassment, that alone would have caused their laughter, but the thought of the headmaster getting the pleasure of hearing all of that through Hermione's screeches had already caused them all to burst. It only subsided as quick as it did, and Harry quickly kept going, so they could hear the rest of this.

**He pleasantly greeted them with a good afternoon.**

"Well it sort of was, there for a moment," James shook his head.

**Hermione's voice was now contrast in the face of him, as small as could go as she said they'd wanted to see Hagrid.**

**Dumbledore's eyes were still twinkling as he stated he'd gathered that.**

"So glad he could take a hint," Remus got out around his chuckles.

**Then he invited them inside.**

"Well it'd be rather embarrassing to turn back now," Lily smirked.

**The moment they stepped over the threshold, Fang bombarded them and Harry had to ward off the boarhound. Then he spotted Hagrid slumped over the table. He'd clearly been crying, and his hair was at the other extreme, so unkempt it looked like tangles of wire.**

"Actually I thought it always looked like that," Sirius snorted.

"Shut it Padfoot," James quickly shushed.

**Harry greeted him, but Hagrid only gave a hoarse hello back.**

**Dumbledore instructed they all needed more tea, and a wave of his wand made a tray appear along with a few miniature cakes.**

Harry couldn't stop his mind floundering for a moment as he really wanted to ask about this display of magic creating all of that into existence, but then he remembered his first trip to the kitchens and how the house-elves had a set up just like this, and Dumbledore had probably summoned that in his own way.

**They all took seats at the table before Dumbledore asked Hagrid if he'd heard what Hermione had been shouting.**

"I'm sure Trelawney heard what she was saying," Remus gave a toothy grin.

**Hermione went pink with embarrassment, but Dumbledore continued that these three proved what he'd been saying, they still wanted to know him, judging by their actions to break down the door.**

"Well that's going a bit far," Lily shook her head fondly, "more like dent it for now."

"Though I'm sure if he hadn't let them in, it could have escalated," James sighed with longing at how that could have turned out.

**Harry blurted that of course they did! How could he let that Skeeter cow, though quickly corrected himself and apologized to his headmaster.**

"I hardly find that the foulest insult you could have used," Sirius snorted.

**Dumbledore simply stated he may have gone temporarily deaf and hadn't the faintest clue what Harry said, now watching the ceiling and twiddling his thumbs.**

"Oh I missed this," Remus gave a breathy laugh and tried to speak all at once. None of them had even begun to forget what he'd done to Sirius, and possibly even Remus and Harry, but at least there was still the man sitting there. The true leader of the Order, the man who would stick by his friend's side no matter what and offer whatever comfort he could. He may have abandoned Sirius when he needed him most, but even now he was slightly making up for that as far as Sirius was concerned by sticking with Hagrid, and clearly still Remus on some level.

**Harry went back to talking to Hagrid, saying that Hagrid shouldn't that, well that woman**

"Nice catch," James winked at Harry.

**get to him.**

**Dumbledore stated Harry was living proof of what he'd been trying to convince Hagrid of. Dumbledore had already shown Hagrid letters of previous students of his who threatened mayhem if Dumbledore did anything against Hagrid.**

That still managed to increase their smiles to another degree. Hagrid had been gamekeeper for countless generations, and an apprentice to the job even before that. He'd never harmed a soul and in fact had been an honest comfort to anyone and everyone with just the tiniest offer. This in fact managed to give Sirius and James a conspiratorial look at each other, now fully intending to throw in Remus' face later when they had a better chance that the same would be spoken true of him if it had ever gone this far, not that Remus had stuck around to find out.

Lily's heart did manage a painful twang though, as she realized that she wasn't one of those to have sent such a thing, it was never a pleasant reminder.

**Hagrid still sniffled that not everyone would feel the same.**

"He can't honestly expect universal popularity?" Sirius raised a staunchy brow, his tone carrying as much, "and even if he didn't have that much support, it should be the real one's who matter like Harry."

"Um, thanks," Harry muttered, feeling bashful at the unexpected praise and quickly reading to cover it.

**Dumbledore gently scolded that if Hagrid expected everyone in the world to like him, he'd be in this cabin forever.**

Lily gave a soft sigh and yet couldn't stop a smile. Happy as she was to see Dumbledore acting the way she'd always known him to again, even his wisdom filled words now weren't making his past crimes against her son feel much better.

**Explaining that he hadn't his position at school for a week before he got letters of complaint. What was he to do? Barricade himself away?**

"That would have been a sight," James rolled his eyes.

**Hagrid reminded none of them were half-giant.**

**Harry snapped back that he still had some unpleasant relatives, look at the Dursleys.**

"Best point you could have made," Lily griped.

**Dumbledore agreed on that point, reminding of his own brother Aberforth,**

"Where have I heard that name before?" James asked with his head cocked to the side.

"Err, isn't that the guy from the Hog's Head?" Sirius asked as he raked his brain.

"That smelly old guy?" Remus scoffed, "probably a name coincidence, there's no way it's the same person."

**who had been prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat.**

Harry spluttered in shock at that, something very hard trying to smack his memory into thinking of something, but the others thought it was suppressed laughter at such a tale, so Harry was instantly distracted by Remus saying, "before our time, only ever heard rumors about that."

"I didn't even know Dumbledore had a brother," Lily said in surprise, then she went cross eyed as she realized, "err, Albus, because his brother would be called that too, oh you know what I meant."

Harry felt disappointed that they clearly didn't know more about Dumbledore's brother, but didn't press them for more.

**That had been all over the papers, but Aberforth had never acted differently. Well, then again Dumbledore wasn't certain his brother could read, so that may not have been bravery...**

This time Harry couldn't help but laugh a small bit along with the others, Harry still eagerly pushing for any details, "so you've never heard anything about Dumbledore's siblings?"

"We've only heard gossip about a brother," James said in surprise, "think my parents mentioned it once as a joke, I wasn't even sure that was true. I doubt he has even more."

Harry slumped back in disappointment, his mind clearly unwilling to let this one go though. Still, the headache won in the end and he forced himself to keep going.

**Hermione put herself in then, begging Hagrid to please come back.**

**Hagrid let a few more tears trickle out but didn't answer.**

**Dumbledore took to his feet and made his answer for Hagrid, saying he refused his resignation.**

"Oh Merlin, he actually tried to quit," Sirius pouted.

"Thank goodness Dumbledore doesn't let all of the best teachers walk out," James said with an obvious look at his favorite teacher, who was clearly ignoring both his friends.

**Dumbledore expected him back to his regular schedule Monday, no excuses. He bid them all good evening, and then left.**

**Hagrid still couldn't help crying a bit, in between stating what a great man Dumbledore was.**

**Ron absently agreed as he asked for a cake?**

"And there's Ron keeping us on point," Remus snorted to try and bring his own amusement up.

**Hagrid happily pushed the tray towards him, brushing at his eyes and admitting he'd been an idiot. His dad would have been ashamed of him. Then he realized he'd never showed them a picture.**

Lily couldn't help but coo with sadness for the poor dear, but at least he was finally starting to look up.

**Hagrid got up and went rummaging through a drawer coming back with a photo of a much younger Hagrid standing next to a man with the same eyes, beaming with pride. Hagrid was already a good eight feet tall in the photo judging by the tree,**

"Merlin, can you imagine sharing a dorm with him," Sirius shook his head. "He'd take up all the beds."

"You know what house he was in?" Harry asked curiously.

"Gryffindor," Remus shrugged, "about the only thing he'd ever share about his time at Hogwarts."

**but judging by his face, hardly eleven. Hagrid explained this had been taken just after he got his letter, his dad had been so proud, as he wasn't sure if he'd be a wizard because of his mother.**

"If one of your parents is magic, then you are going to be a wizard," Lily said stiffly. "It is only in extremely rare cases otherwise. I wish wizards would understand that."

"Good luck getting it through so many thick skulls," James grumbled.

**Sadly he hadn't lived long after this was taken, he'd died in Hagrid's second year, before he was expelled.**

Lily's frostiness at persons unknown melted at once as she wanted to go right back to comforting Hagrid for that travesty.

**Dumbledore had taken care of him after that, got him this job. He was always willing to give anyone a second chance.**

Sirius felt himself give a horrible little twitch, now a little bug forever going off in the back of his mind why he'd been left out of that when it seemed to be true for every other person, bloody hell the man trusted a Death Eater more than him apparently.

**He'd let anyone join Hogwarts,**

Remus couldn't help but flush happily as he smiled at the reminder, his mind still boggled some days even when after he'd spent seven years there that he'd gotten that experience.

**as long as they were magical. He knew all you had to do was give them a chance no matter their families. Some people didn't understand that, they'd hold your heritage against you, or pretend like nothing was wrong and they just had big bones like they were ashamed; but Hagrid wasn't.**

"Think he took Maxime to heart," Lily sighed in sympathy, still hoping there was someone else out there for Hagrid rather than that stuck up old bird.

**His dad had always told him never to be ashamed. He was right of course, and he'd never forget to live by that. Big bones, he'd show her big bones.**

"Hagrid just has no filter," James chuckled lightly. "If those kids didn't know what he was talking about, it wouldn't exactly be hard to guess from all that."

"Yet we still love him all the more for it," Sirius chirped.

**The three of them tried not to exchange looks, Harry would rather take fifty skrewts for a walk than admit they'd overheard him talking to Madame Maxime,**

"That is the best comparison I've ever heard," Remus told him after a bit more laughter.

**but Hagrid was still talking, apparently unaware that he had said anything odd.**

"He's actually getting worse with years," Lily giggled, "at least by now he should have cut himself off and corrected that he shouldn't have told you that."

**Now turning on Harry with bright eyes that when he'd first met Harry, he'd reminded him of Hagrid. Parents gone, and so sure he wouldn't fit in at Hogwarts.**

Harry's smile was a bit more forced now as yes, he did remember all of that quite well, but he'd never been happier to be wrong.

**But look at him now, school champion!**

"Still don't know if I'd go so far as praising him for that," James muttered to himself, now wanting to curse Skeeter for a whole other reason. She just had to put that poisonous little thought in his head, now he was even feeling resentful of Hagrid!

**He looked at Harry for a moment and then said, very seriously,**

Sirius worked furiously for a moment before actually putting on a fair impersonation of Hagrid's West Country accent, "well if he can be me, then I can be him."

Everyone was plainly distracted from whatever they'd been thinking to either groan at him, or in Harry's case to laugh, which had been the whole point so Sirius smiled, more than pleased with himself.

**that what he'd love more than anything was for Harry to win, to show them all you didn't have to be a pureblood to be something.**

"Err, I'm fairly confident I don't know any of the other champions blood status," Harry said in surprise.

"It's the principle Hagrid's going for," Remus shrugged, "you are an underdog of sorts being the youngest."

"Actually Fleur would make his impact better," Sirius couldn't help a little smirk, "being part human and all with her veela status."

"I like Harry better, so let's stick with him," Lily chuckled.

**Gently asking how Harry was doing with that egg?**

**Harry quickly fudged like he had to everyone else, and Hagrid gave his first real smile.**

"Worthwhile lie," James beamed anew, he really couldn't stay mad at Hagrid after such a sweet little speech.

**Claiming, 'that's my boy.'**

...okay, maybe he could a little, but at least his tick of annoyance went unnoticed.

**Lying to Hagrid felt even worse than anyone before, so as Harry went up to his dorm that night, he decided it was time to shove his pride away. He couldn't let Hagrid down, it was time to check out Cedric's hint.**

"Was wondering when you'd break on that," Lily chuckled, giving her baby's nose a friendly little tweak as Harry got up to hand the book to Remus.

* * *

*maana999 offered the question of where that was being taken place if not the Room of Requirements, this had always been my running idea.


	26. THE EGG AND THE EYE

 

* * *

Despite Remus' rather tired eyes as he never enjoyed being active any days preceding or following the full moon, and it wasn't helping the ever growing fear of the next task creeping closer, Remus wouldn't deny he couldn't think of how better to be spending his time as he got started.

**Harry wasn't sure how long this bath would take, so he chose to do it after school hours so he could take his time.**

"You make it sound so difficult to lock a door," James shook his head.

"I think he's just making up excuses for using that Prefect bathroom, and after hours is the best time," Remus smirked.

Harry ignored them both.

**Though still not wanting to take any advice from that Hufflepuff, Harry also chose to use the prefects' bathroom, at least fewer people were likely to be in there.**

Harry grumbled something about how he still wasn't going to admit they were right, it's not like he'd wanted to go in there just because he'd heard rumors about how cool that place was, and they couldn't force him to say otherwise.

**Harry had to be careful with this excursion, he'd been caught out of bed by Filch once before,**

"The fact that you've only been caught once is what gets to me," Sirius shook his head fondly.

"By our fourth year we'd caught up with him as much as any teacher," James agreed.

"And you only got caught that time because you forgot the cloak," Remus snorted. "If you'd paid attention a little more, even then you would have gotten away with it."

Harry wasn't sure if they were teasing him for not being as trouble making as them again, or trying to mock him for that experience again, either way he chose not to answer.

**and had no want of a repeat. He made sure to have his Invisibility Cloak on him,**

"At least he'll remember it this time," Lily reminded to get the boys to stop smirking.

**and the Marauders Map.**

"The two kind of go hand in hand," Remus agreed.

**On Thursday night,**

"Why did you wait almost a whole other week?" James asked.

"Homework," Harry used as a main excuse, but also adding, "plus I spent a few nights making sure I could walk down there and scout the place out without getting caught."

"Look at you, finally showing some forethought," Sirius praised.

**Harry slipped through the common room much like he had the night he'd gone to visit Hagrid, waiting for Ron to open the portrait hole to get out.**

"Still think that one's a bit too paranoid on your part," Remus rolled his eyes. "No one ever pays much attention to that."

**Harry made his way down to the correct door, whispered the password, and stepped inside before locking the door behind him. His first impression was it would be worth being a prefect just to use this bathroom regularly.**

"Well now you can without the responsibility," Sirius smirked.

"You're lucky you never got caught in there," Remus reminded him, "or I would have most likely gone down with you. Then of course I would have had to pay you back for getting me into trouble."

Sirius had a challenging smirk in place as he stated, "wouldn't be the first, wouldn't be the last."

**Candles softly lit the marble chamber, a large rectangular shallow pool filled the main portion of the room with a hundred golden taps all around the edge each encrusted with a different jewel, along with a diving board.**

Harry's mind was starting to gape a bit at such grandeur. A diving board for a bathtub! The splendor of the castle had always seemed like a lot to the boy from the cupboard, but this new leap of wealth still somehow managed to surprise him.

**Fluffy** **towels were in a cubby in the far wall, and opposite that was the stained glass image of a blonde mermaid fast asleep.**

Then Harry felt a zap pelt his brain, now blinking spastically as he was sure that should have meant something more to him, but was instantly distracted by Remus trying to cover up some laughter. He quickly smothered it and explained for Harry, "I don't know who conjured up that image, but it's the farthest thing from what Merpeople actually look like."

Harry was very sure that news shouldn't have come as a surprise to him, but simply nodded in understanding.

**Harry's footsteps echoed a bit as he walked up the few steps leading to this, and though he was very impressed and aching to try all those taps, now that he was here he was more sure than ever Cedric might be playing him.**

Remus was suddenly distracted as well from Harry getting to find this new place, to his mind spinning back to that noise again and why Cedric would have lead Harry hear. Water, in the Prefects bathroom, it couldn't have anything to do with that particular painting of the mermaid? He'd only ever heard descriptions of them, but apparently they had a beautiful singing voice, underwater. Above water it was a senseless high pitched noise. He was immensely curious to know if this had been what Cedric had figured out, but even if it was, what would the second task have to do with Mermaids? They were bottom dwellers, even in the Hogwarts lake they were only rumored to have come to the surface once in the school's history. He kept the thought to himself for now until he was more sure of this.

**How was this place going to help him solve his egg?**

**He was already here, so he decided to enjoy himself anyways, setting all of his stuff aside as he got to work. Every tap shot out water the perfect temperature he wanted, and each was also mingled with magical bubbles. One set such a thick foam Harry could have sat on it, another left a purple mist hanging just above the surface, Harry's favorite was the one that shot patterns in the waters surface.**

"I used to spend hours playing with all of those taps," Lily agreed fondly. "Sometimes I'd even drain the water again just to watch them fill all over again."

**After a surprisingly short time to fill, Harry slipped inside and treaded water for a bit, his feet barely touched the bottom.**

Harry was surprised at his own daring at that, as he'd never learned to swim. Though he supposed being in there by himself was a good way to practice and it didn't seem deep enough that so long as he didn't try anything foolish he shouldn't have a problem.

**After a few laps, Harry went back to the edge and picked up his egg, but still had no new revelations for it. Even opening still created the same cacophony, if not worse because of its new echo. He'd been leaning over the side concentrating so hard, he dropped the egg with a start when someone spoke,**

All five of them couldn't help but startle a little as well. That's all Harry needed, to get caught and in trouble on top of this tournament mess.

**telling him to put the egg in the water.**

"Guess that's better than, what on earth are you doing in here," James raised a surprised brow, trying to figure out who'd catch him there and not tell him off.

**Harry swallowed a large amount of bubbles in surprise as he spun around, seeing a ghost sitting on a nearby tap.**

"Oh hey, Myrtle's back," Sirius said, relaxing back at once.

"Why is she in there?" Lily demanded around a squeaky voice, her hand already twitching like she was going to cover her modesty now.

"We told you she went snooping through some of the other bathrooms," Remus snorted at her surprise. "Why would you think this one was excluded?"

"Did she really spy on me though?" Harry couldn't help but fidget at such a perversion of privacy.

"Well yeah," Sirius couldn't help but give Harry a sad little smile, "but I like to at least pretend she closed her eyes while you were changing."

Harry still couldn't help a disgusted shiver, even with his memory finally being soothed of why he'd wondered he would run into the ghost again in another bathroom, this wouldn't have been his choice of moments.

**It was Moaning Myrtle.**

**Harry yelled at her in shock, stating he wasn't wearing anything!** **The surrounding water was thick enough this wasn't the point, but Harry suspected she'd been around longer than he'd been in.**

**Myrtle told that she'd had her eyes closed when he got in,**

Even with Myrtle having said it herself didn't make the shivers quite stop.

**and then reminded how he hadn't come to see her in ages.**

"Can't imagine why," James scowled at the reminder of that Chamber. Myrtle used to be something funny to think about, she was always a good laugh and sometimes even helpful considering all the times she'd spied on people in the bathrooms and if cajoled right she'd pass along the information. Now all he could think about in relation to that ghost was a basilisk fang.

**Harry floundered for a moment, still keeping his knees bent so all Myrtle could see was his head,**

Sirius wanted to make a comment about that, but actually managed to restrain himself with Lily still looking flustered and her husband in the room.

**before reminding he wasn't supposed to be in there, it was a girls one.**

"Bit of a pointless thing to say after spending half a year in there," Remus snickered.

**Myrtle reminded he didn't use to care, he'd been in all the time.**

"Not for the exclusive company though," Harry muttered.

**While that had been true in his second year, this was only because of the private location so they could brew a secret potion. Aloud he told her that he'd been caught for going in there, which was half true, Percy had once told them off for coming out.**

"Yeah, and I know how you always listen to everything Percy says," James stated with the utmost sincerity.

**Fibbing he hadn't gone in after that.**

**Myrtle was not impressed as she switched back to telling Harry to put the egg in the water, that's what Diggory had done.**

"How often does she spy on people in there?" Lily demanded, her voice still a little too pitchy than normal, the Marauders were taking this far to casually in her opinion.

"Don't know, never kept a record of her or anything," Remus shrugged.

"Often enough it wasn't exactly a surprise if we found her in there," James couldn't help but laugh a bit at his wife's continued squeamishness over this. She was just a harmless ghost, he was honestly convinced she did it more for attention than pervy intent.

**Harry demanded how often she spied on people?**

**Myrtle just said sometimes, though Harry was the first she'd spoken to.**

"Because that's so much better," Lily groaned. "How did you know she was there then?" She asked of the boys.

"If Harry had been keeping his eye on the map, he would have seen her show up," Sirius reminded.

"How on earth does that thing work," Lily demanded of them. "Ghosts aren't alive, why would she register?"

"The Homunculus charm," Remus said like that explained everything.

Lily looked honestly surprised, but Harry had no clue what that was so she told him, "the charm marks where everyone is in a specific location so long as they have even a vague human mind. Like the ghosts and Peeves would be included," she added on for herself. "It just never occurred to me that was the spell they used, because I could never find the incantation, just mentions of it in old texts."

"Sirius found it in a book from his house," Remus shrugged.

"There's a lot of musty old stuff in that place," Sirius rolled his eyes, "I got bored and looked through it at one point, came back and found it a few years later when it actually came in handy."

"Would the basilisk have shown up on the map?" Harry asked, thinking normal pets like Crookshanks never had, but then Mrs. Norris had so was the giant snake stretching it?

"Nope," James stated, "not human like enough."

"So how come Filch's cat's on there?" Lily demanded of them.

"She got her own separate charm to track her," Sirius grumbled, "we realized that mistake and added it after the fact."

**Harry sarcastically snapped back how honored he was, telling her to keep her eyes shut as he crawled out.**

**He made sure she wasn't looking as he dried off and went after his fallen egg, then set his towel aside again and slipped back in. Myrtle looked up after that, repeating for him to stick the egg in the water.**

Remus was instantly distracted from his old pet project and was now much more focused on seeing if his idea was right. He couldn't think of too many other creatures that this would apply too...

**Harry opened the seal beneath the surface, but among the new bubbles no screeching echoed underneath, instead Harry could swear he heard gurgling singing.**

"Oh," Remus smiled in triumph at the exact moment the other three stated in surprise.

Harry gave an agitated little sigh, he was sick of always being the one things to had to be explained to, but didn't question it as he had a gut feeling he'd come to his own conclusions on this soon enough and watched impatiently as Remus happily yelped, "it's mermaids."

"What does that have to do with a triwizard task?" Sirius demanded grumpily, the first one had been bad enough, and this wasn't starting off much better. Those creatures were rumored to be as vicious and territorial as dragons, with the added bonus of drowning their victims to death rather than setting them on fire.

"No clue," James tried to shush him and wave him quiet so he could hear this.

**Myrtle told Harry he had to be underwater as well to hear the words, and when Harry hesitated she got a bit bossy by telling him to get one with it.**

"Guess she doesn't get the opportunity much," Lily grumbled, though even she was finally distracted from the ghosts habits to pay attention to this.

**Harry took a deep breath before ducking down as well, and finally heard:**

_**"Come seek us where our voices sound,** _

_**We cannot sing above the ground,** _

_**And while you're searching, ponder this:** _

**_We've_ ** _**taken what you'll sorely miss,** _

_**An hour long you'll have to look,** _

_**And to recover what we took,** _

_**But past an hour- the prospect's black,** _

_**Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."** _

"That, was not encouraging," Remus' smile slipped right off his face as the full impact of the challenge sank in.

"Hang on, read that again," James requested, sure he'd heard a bit wrong.

Remus obliged, to the now stunned faces of the others.

"What's this on about an hour?" Lily demanded as she began biting at her lip at once at the thought. "What are you looking for?"

"Another bit to lead you to the last event I guess," Sirius sighed, but even as the worry started flooding him he couldn't deny at least this sounded more bearable and doable than the first.

"I'm still stuck on that part where they took something," James grumbled, running his hand through his hair in thought. "Are you looking for two things, or is the challenge personalized?"

"I really don't like the sounds of this," Remus groaned the more he thought about it. "They're only giving you a pinch more information than the first time, and it still seems as deadly as ever." He was still categorizing everything he'd ever heard about mermaids as well as aquatic life in general, none of it exactly pleasant, and all very hard to deal with inside the water where only a few select spells worked properly.

"Let's look on the bright side," Lily tried to keep their attention. "Least now he has something to work with, and I'm sure Harry'll figure it out," she gave him a winning smile at the end.

Harry wasn't as sure as her, unable to erase the nasty feeling that this was hardly his favorite challenge and he'd still take the dragon back, but didn't argue the point either.

**Harry came back to the surface for air, tried to recite it, but then had to go under a few times before he got it right. Then he set the egg to the side again, and began swimming a few laps as he thought it all out.**

**Myrtle called him slow for not guessing who this could be about, while smirking down at him.**

"No," Remus snapped at once, as he'd noticed that look on Harry's face. It must be annoying to the boy to constantly having things explained to him, then and now with his lapse of the magical world, but that was hardly his fault as he stated, "it's not exactly a common problem for many wizards, I'm positive it'd be just as hard to work out for the other champions."

"You guys figured it out in like, a second," Harry grumbled.

"We," James quickly corrected as he gestured at first Sirius and himself, "have a running expert on all things beast," now waving vaguely at Remus who was squinting at him like he was trying to decide if that was supposed to be insulting or a compliment. Knowing James, a combination of both. "So we know a bit more about it than the typical person."

"I didn't get it until he said it," Lily shrugged as she jabbed her thumb at Remus as well, "I was just surprised you could suddenly hear it underwater."

Harry did at least feel marginally better his mother had at least been on the same page as him for most of it.

**Harry hadn't seen Myrtle this cheerful since Hermione had a tail.**

"There's a fond memory," Sirius couldn't help but laugh, the magical mistakes people could do to themselves had always endeared him.

**Harry ignored her as he kept up his swim, puzzling together that whatever this was must have something to do with a creature underwater if that's where you could hear the voice. He realized he was speaking aloud when Myrtle agreed that had been Diggory's conclusion, it had taken him ages to put this together.**

**Harry mostly ignored her, his eyes still on the water as he asked what else was in the lake besides the giant squid? Myrtle was not happy with the answer that there were all sorts, she'd been flushed down there from time to time.**

All five of them made spluttering noises of disgust at _that!_

"Are you telling me the plumbing empties into the lake!" Sirius demanded, going a little green at the thought. "I thought it was just banished once it left the pipes. We never found where they exited off, so-" he cut himself with a retch.

"Great, and I used to go swimming in that," James groaned, his skin starting to crawl.

"I like to think Sirius was half right," Lily had her nose crinkled so much she looked like she was imitating a pug. "Surely it goes through some sort of magical cleaning system. There are creatures like the giant squid living in there who would get sick from that."

"Lets just move on," Remus grumbled, not really wanting to sit around thinking about it.

**Trying not to think about Moaning Myrtle zooming down a pipe to the lake with the contents of a toilet.**

"Can't imagine why you wouldn't want to paint that picture," Sirius muttered to find some amusement again.

**Harry instead looked around himself again, his eyes landing on the painting of a human voice coming out of the water, like the mermaid.**

"You see, that's a brilliant deduction," Lily smiled.

"I probably never would have got there without that painting," Harry tried to brush off.

"But you did," James rolled his eyes, "so take the compliment."

Harry muttered something that didn't quite mask the pleased look on his face at his parents complimenting him.

**Harry asked if she'd seen any of those down there, and Myrtle praised that had been what Diggory got to in the end, but he'd taken hours and that was with her awake.**

Harry's pleased feelings increased into a full blown smirk, unable to really beat away that pride that he'd done something faster than Diggory. Then he got an intense curling feeling in his gut, and Harry was once again wondering why his own jealous feelings at Cedric really hurt like that.

**Harry was suddenly bubbling with his own excitement as he was sure he'd got it, the second task was to go into the lake and find merpeople!**

**His happiness drained as suddenly as if someone had pulled the plug in this tub. Harry could hardly swim.**

**Sure a bit of floundering in his water was easy, but while Dudley had taken lessons in his youth, his aunt and uncle had never ponied up the money for him, most likely hoping he'd one day drown.**

"Oh thank you for that lovely bleeding reminder," Lily narrowed her eyes nastily, all of them having to fight down the urge to go drown those people in a bathtub.

**Harry spoke his problem aloud to Myrtle, asking how he was supposed to breathe?**

Harry looked around expectantly, to find they looked rather stumped at the thought.

"That, is a remarkably good question," Lily frowned, fidgeting with a lock of her hair as she cast her mind around for a spell or potion she could lock on. There was a potion that would temporarily give him gills, as well as some transfiguration, but those were advanced, and she'd be surprised if an older student could pull it off in time, let alone a fourteen year old.

"Well, it's not exactly common for people to do so," James explained as his mind offered up a few suggestions he quickly dispelled as they wouldn't be any use to Harry's age. "I'm not really sure how Hogwarts expects you to pull it off without adult help honestly."

"Um," Sirius cocked his head to the side in thought, "ah, let me get back to you on that one."

**At this, Myrtle's eyes filled with sudden tears again.**

"Uh oh," Remus groaned.

"Now you've done it," Sirius sighed, resisting the temptation to plug up his ears at the thought of this.

"What'd I do?" Harry yelped in surprise, they'd gone from speculating his problem to all looking annoyed in an instant.

"Not sure," James rolled his eyes, "but you said something to set off Myrtle, so here we go."

**Wailing at how tactless he was, talking about breathing in front of her!**

"Oh," Lily nodded, "well I've seen her be set off by less."

Harry was starting to regret that he hadn't put his trousers on the last time he'd gotten out, so maybe he could have snuck away by now.

**She buried her face in her sleeves, and Harry only now remembered how touchy she could be, when other ghosts didn't react to that kind of stuff.**

"Well you said it," Sirius sniffed, "Myrtle's one of a kind."

**He impatiently apologized,**

"I wasn't aware you could be impatiently sorry," Remus chuckled.

"But I'm glad you can pull it off," James grinned.

**while Myrtle brokenly stated he wasn't the first, nobody had cared when she was alive. It had taken the school ages to find her body.**

"Here we go again," Sirius threw his hands up in exasperation. "This is the story we mentioned before, if ever you asked how she died she'd just go on about this bit."

"Not even a very thrilling tale," James agreed with a sigh.

**Olive Hornby had been the first to do so, laughing about how she'd probably been in there crying again, and Myrtle had made her pay for that. Myrtle haunted her for years, even going to a wedding to follow her around.**

Lily still felt kind of bad for Myrtle, but it didn't stop her snapping, "what's she blaming her for? It wasn't that girl who got her killed. Why's she even allowed to do that?"

"Well you know Myrtle doesn't even know who did it," Remus reminded, "so she's just haunting the first person who came into contact with her after the fact."

"I think at some point she got a restraining order from the Ministry banishing her back to Hogwarts," James shrugged. "At least, I hope Olive did, I know I wouldn't want to put up with that."

**Harry had stopped listening, still playing the song in his head about how something he'd miss would be taken. What were they going to take?  
**

**Myrtle was still chatting about how the Ministry of Magic had eventually got her to stop stalking and forced her back to her toilet.**

"Fair compensation for stalking," Sirius snorted.

**Harry vaguely agreed that was a good idea,**

"I can see you were just riveted by that," Lily giggled.

**while deciding it was time for him to go. He demanded she keep her eyes shut while he got dressed again, and once he was done and picking up all three of his things Myrtle asked if he'd come visit her again?**

"I'm sure that's top of your to do list," James rolled his eyes.

"Could always find some more illegal potions to brew in there," Sirius offered, "I'm sure you'll come up with a reason to eventually."

"You're not encouraging," Lily grumbled at him.

**Harry lied that he'd try, while privately thinking he wouldn't unless her's was the last bathroom available.**

"And even then I'd rather use the lake," Remus finished as if reading, "because apparently it goes there anyways."

The others got a fascinating combination of laughter and disgust on their faces, so Remus admitted he'd been joking but still kept going with a wicked smirk in place.

**Harry said his goodbye as he slipped his cloak on and activated his map to track the school again, the egg under his other arm. Filch and Mrs. Norris were down in their office, Peeves was bouncing around the trophy room, all seemed calm and a peaceful walk back to his tower, until he spotted something odd.**

"Was it Sinestra sneaking into Vectors office?" Sirius asked innocently. "I caught that a fair few times."

"And I begged you every time not to tell me," Remus grumbled without looking up.

**Peeves was not the only thing that was moving. A single dot was flitting around a room in the bottom left-hand corner - Snape's office.**

"I can understand why you'd be keeping an eye on him," James muttered in disgust, he was always top of his list to keep tabs on.

**But the dot wasn't labeled 'Severus Snape,' it was Bartemius Crouch.**

Remus had to blink down at the pages several times to convince his brain he'd read that, and by the time he was convinced that name wasn't vanishing Lily had come over her shock and snatched the book away to see for herself, now juggling the thick spine and baby all at once and still managing to hold a look of disbelief in place.

"What on earth is he doing?" Sirius tried to demand, but his voice failed him in shock so it came out more of a whisper.

"How can he even be," James waved his hand around for emphasis of not even being aware what this was. "I thought he was so sick Percy was doing his job, now he's crawling around the castle."

"In Snape's private office," Remus agreed as he gently took the book back.

"I really want to know what's changed this guy," Lily demanded as she kept glaring at the book. "The only time he's acted the way I know him now was at the World Cup. Ever since then he's been acting like, well I don't even know."

"I have a bad feeling about me finding out," Harry grumbled as he kneaded his temple with his knuckles, something was pounding away in there insisting what he'd said was true enough.

"Well, best get it over with then," Remus tried to shrug this off for Harry's sake, his own mind wondering how much Dumbledore knew about this. Surely Crouch wasn't on the property without the headmaster knowing, which surely meant Snape had knowledge of what was going on and maybe invisible Harry would find something out. There was no doubt in anyone's mind Harry would go investigating this.

**Harry watched the dot uncertainly, trying to understand how Crouch could be so sick he'd miss the Yule Ball, but was now sneaking around his school after midnight. The little label was moving around and occasionally pausing.**

"Bit of an odd time for an inventory check," Sirius muttered.

**Curiosity getting the better of him,**

"No surprise there," James agreed.

**Harry changed course and headed that way, his nose still pressed to the map as he moved along, passing into a shortcut. This seemed very out of character for Crouch sneaking around someone else's office.**

They all agreed, none of them could come up with a feasible explanation for this. Even Remus' idea about the teachers having foreknowledge was lacking when he was reminded of the time, surely nothing so pressing was happening that Snape's cupboard had to be raided at this time.

**Halfway down, Harry's leg suddenly wasn't level, and in fact had sunk into a trick step.**

"Oh bugger," James groaned, already his fingers sliding past his glasses to hide his eyes from what this could mean.

**He wobbled, and the still damp egg came free of his grasp, clanging on every step on the way down,**

Sirius was counting all the ways in his head how bad this was, and already reaching double digits for his poor pup.

**while the Invisibility Cloak tried to slide down with it, and in Harry's wild grasp to catch that the Map slipped free floating halfway down the stairs as well from where Harry was jammed.**

Lily was biting her tongue to stop herself bemoaning that this really couldn't get any worse, then she realized next thing his wand was probably going to go sailing away as well!

**The golden egg fell through the tapestry at the bottom of the staircase, burst open, and began wailing loudly in the corridor below.**

"And that's my limit," Remus groaned, letting his head hang for a moment before looking pleadingly at his friends, "anyone else want to read about the travesty to come?"

"Nope," Sirius shook his head quickly, "that's all yours."

James removed his fingers so that he could glare at the book doing this to his son as he stated, "sorry Moony, you have fun with that."

"He's just going to get caught out of bed," Lily tried for some optimism. "Worst that can happen is he might get a detention."

"With the cloak and map on him," Sirius tallied up for her. "Try week's worth of detentions."

"Maybe being a champion they'll cut him some slack," James offered weakly.

"Good luck with that," Remus snorted.

**Harry tried to reach with his wand to wipe the Map blank, but it was too far.**

"And why did that stop you?" Sirius asked rolling his eyes, "just say the spell and it'll still be done." Then he suddenly brightened all the more and said, "you've still got your wand on you, least that didn't come loose. Just summon everything back to you and hide under the cloak."

"You'll still be stuck in there until someone pulls you free," James winced, "so it's a question of being caught or let your leg go numb for how many hours."

Harry had gone from looking flabbergasted at Sirius, the thought hadn't even crossed his panicky mind, to thinking that his dad's options were more likely.

**Making sure the cloak was still covering him, all Harry could do was tense in fear as the roar reached his ear, Peeves!**

"There's a momentary relief," Remus couldn't help a small smile, "least he's not approaching you at defcon five."

"Filch always blames Peeves first," Sirius agreed.

**Filch had arrived almost instantly upon the racket the egg was making, shouting about the poltergeist, but quickly catching sight of the real noise.**

They all tensed in preparation for Filch making the connection...but then James suddenly brightened with the widest smirk in place. "Actually, this could still work out. Harry's hiding under the cloak, Filch shouldn't be able to find him. That could belong to any champion, so Harry could just steal it back before anyone's the wiser when Filch takes it back to his office."

"Could work," Sirius agreed eagerly, "so long as Harry keeps his head."

**Harry could hear him stoop to pick up the egg, the wailing was cut off, and Harry stayed very still**

"Not like you had a choice," Remus muttered.

**as he waited for Filch to pull back the tapestry to his hidden corridor, expecting to see Peeves, but instead his eyes would surely land on the Map.**

"No, really," Sirius insisted, watching Harry with the most disappointed eyes he could muster. "Summon it back to you already. You are losing some very important scheming points for not reacting already."

"I panicked," Harry defended, "went on lockdown, I think I stopped breathing for a few moments, let alone think."

**Filch began whispering to Mrs. Norris about how this was a Triwizard clue, Peeves had been stealing from a champion.**

"Actually no," Lily shook her head, "I've never known Peeves to actively steal personal belongings, or at least hang onto them. He might chuck it across the room."

"I can still see him trying this though," Remus disagreed. "If one of the champions had left it out, Peeves would think this was a great idea."

**He ripped back the tapestry,**

"Like Peeves would still be hiding there though," James scoffed.

"He'd either be floating above laughing, or at the other end of the school by now," Sirius agreed.

**and Harry got a proper look at Filch's strained face and popping eyes landing on an apparently deserted corridor.**

**Filch began whispering to himself about how Peeves could hide all he'd like but surely Dumbledore would have him kicked out for this.**

"I am as positive as can be Dumbledore has no control of Peeves being in that school," Remus snickered.

"I've never known magic that could get rid of one," Lily agreed, "and even if by some miracle you did, another would just appear. They're spirits of chaos after all-"

"And who harbors more chaos than a school," James finished for her.

"Really makes you wonder if Fleur was lying," Sirius cocked his head to the side, "I wouldn't honestly be surprised if all schools housed one of some kind."

"I wouldn't put it past her," Lily tisked, thinking she'd probably exaggerated every bit of her perfect precious school.

**Filch began climbing the stairs, still muttering to himself, his cat at his heels now watching Harry with her eerie eyes through the Cloak. This wasn't the first time Harry had to wonder if this worked on cats.**

"And the answer is still yes, physically she can't see you," Remus sighed.

"But she can use her other sharper senses, like smell," Sirius grumbled. "It just depends on how intelligent she is to work out if the scent is old, or fresh and she should get Filch, or what."

James was muttering under his breath about how bad this could get and didn't add in.

**Harry tried desperately to wrench his leg free as Filch kept climbing closer, he'd reach the map first or walk right into Harry-**

**then someone called for what Filch was up to?**

Lily scowled and said a few choice words even as relief flooded her, Harry life really knew how to set the tension.

**Filch stopped where he was and looked back down to see Snape.**

Remus couldn't help face planting the pages for a moment, counting up all the number of times this guy kept showing up to ruin their lives and not happy at all with the number.

"Of bleeding course!" Sirius snarled in outrage. "Because if there's one person to make a situation worse, it'll always be him to show up!"

"I swear he has a radar on my last name," James moaned, "there is no other explanation how he keeps doing this."

**He was wearing a long gray nightshirt and he looked livid.**

"Because I always wanted to know what he slept in," Sirius crinkled up his nose.

**Filch explained himself, showing the egg still in his grasp and what he knew Peeves had been up to.**

**Snape quickly reached his side, his eyes taking in the scene while Harry watched with a pounding heart he was sure would give him away.**

"You're not helping by exaggerating," Lily sighed, though honestly she couldn't help a small smile at the same time. After all the heart pounding, fear inducing moments this tournament had already done to her, a thing like dealing with Filch and detention felt like a cake walk.

**Snape's first comment was to say Peeves couldn't get into his office.**

"Oh?" James drew the vowel too far out in surprise. "Well maybe we were slightly wrong, and it was a surprise visit being conducted."

"Hope he gets fired for something," Sirius grumbled, knowing it wasn't exactly Crouch's job to do...well whatever on earth could even be going on, but if it was putting Snape in a bad mood he was all for it.

**The two began talking over each other, Filch still trying to go on about what Peeves had done, Snape saying how someone had broken into his office and only a wizard could have done so. Snape won by snapping out that he didn't give a damn about that Poltergeist, he wanted Filch help to search the castle for whoever had been in his office.**

Remus couldn't help a petty little smile that Snape was running to anyone for help, thinking the last time Snape had needed something he'd turned to Filch then to. Seemed the caretaker even he'd hated in his youth was the only friend he seemed to want help from now, not that he had any others.

**Filch tried to argue, looking longingly towards the way he was sure Peeves had gone.**

"He's kidding himself," Lily rolled his eyes, "he must know better than anyone Peeves wouldn't still be hanging around. He's got his evidence, he can come back later."

"You be sure to tell him that dear," James smiled at her.

**Harry was pleading with the universe they'd just go, while Mrs. Norris was still keeping eyes on him. Harry knew if anything she could smell him, why had he used all that scented soap!**

"Yes, why indeed did you not have the foresight not to play with that new toy," Sirius scolded, wagging his finger in Harry's face for emphasis.

Harry momentarily considered trying to catch that finger and hold it hostage until his godfather reconsidered doing it again, he was wound tight as could go at the remembered stress of this, but then Sirius turned eagerly back to listen to Remus keep going and Harry lost his moment.

**Filch told Snape he'd help, but first he had to see the headmaster, there was no way he'd condone letting Peeves get away with this.**

**Snape replied his office was more important than that- but was cut off by a distinctive and repetitive clunk.**

"And the party continues?" Remus raised a sharp brow.

"Just how many teachers wander around this castle at night," Harry threw up his hands in exasperation.

"More than you'd think, but few enough this usually isn't such a problem," James said in what he was sure was a wise old voice.

**Both stopped speaking at once as Mad-Eye appeared.**

"While the footsteps were distinctive enough I guessed as much," Lily rolled her eyes, "could it not have been anyone else besides him. Harry actually had a chance to get out of this mess, but the one person in that castle who can see past that cloak shows up!"

"So glad we're on the same page love," James huffed as he slumped back into his seat, the game was definitely up now.

**Moody took in the full scene, his first response to ask the two if they were having a pajama party?**

"Well I should hope not," Remus tried for a laugh, "McGonagall wasn't invited, and you know how upset she'd be about that."

"See, this is why you should have stuck around," Sirius grinned at him.

**Filch began explaining everything, but when he got to Snape's office Snape snapped at him to shut it.**

Lily raised a sharp brow like she wanted to give Snape a suspicious look for doing that. What was he trying to hide from Moody?

**Moody took a few steps up so he could be more on level with them, his blue eye alone being able to take in the full scene.**

"Someone should make that the next painting hung up in school," James couldn't help a small smile, "it feels like the perfect metaphor for how Harry's life goes. Mostly observing and just waiting to get caught."

"I'm sure Snape would love one hung in his office," Sirius agreed.

**Moody's lopsided gash of a mouth opened in surprise.**

"What master Auror skills he has," Lily grimaced. "He practically gave away Harry's position before he said a word."

**For a moment he seemed to be deciding what to do, then he closed his mouth and turned to Snape.**

They all braced themselves for this boot to drop.

**Asking about this person who broke in?**

"Again," James couldn't help but point out with a smirk, though it faded right back off as he couldn't help but question, "though even knowing who did it doesn't help any of my questions."

"He's not going to tell," Lily yelped in surprise.

"I guess not," Remus agreed slowly, "if he didn't say it right off the bat, I can't imagine he would...but why not?"

"Who cares," Sirius grinned, "Harry's going to get away with it for sure now."

**Snape replied it was of no importance to him.**

"You weren't saying so a second ago," Sirius sneered, knowing Snape thought anything concerning him was the most important thing in the world.

**Moody disagreed, asking if Snape had any suspects?**

**Snape grudgingly admitted it was most likely a student, this had happened before so students could steal and make their own potions.**

Remus enunciated each syllable carefully, "hypocrite." Before continuing on more casually, "I know for a fact he used to filch from Slughorn all the time to brew his own vats for whatever he wanted."

**Moody asked if he was sure he didn't have anything else hidden in there?**

"Oh please have Moody go check next," Sirius sneered. "Would make my day for him to get fired for something illegal I know he has in there."

"I wouldn't hold your breath," Lily couldn't help but mutter a tad bitterly.

**Snape narrowed his eyes at Moody as he said dangerously Moody knew full well he had nothing else, he'd searched his office already.**

"Well lookie there," James grin managed to spring back to life instantly. "As if Moody hadn't already proved himself useful to this school, now he's actually listening to us."

"Pity he didn't find anything," Remus sighed.

"Probably keeps a secret stash hidden in the dungeons somewhere, so he can torture students at his own disposal," Sirius said, only half kidding.

**Moody agreed that was a privilege Dumbledore had allowed-**

**Snape cut him off with a temper, saying Dumbledore trusted him and he still didn't believe the headmaster had granted this!**

"And yet he did it anyways," Lily snapped back, "which finally shows there is still a brain in his head."

While honestly pleased his wife still hadn't switched back to even remotely defending Snape again, he still couldn't help but expect a relapse, this new version was honestly scaring him as he recoiled slightly. Lily was speaking of him with as much hatred as she'd once shown James, and he knew what that was like, so it wasn't a pleasant reminder.

**Moody agreed Dumbledore did trust Snape, the man believed in second chances.**

"What did he do with his first chance?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Most likely, got caught as a Death Eater," Sirius growled. "We've only heard rumours before now he was one, but that seems the most likely. I'm just wondering how in Merlin's beard Dumbledore let that slide enough to give him a job."

"I'm sad to say we probably won't find out," Remus huffed.

**Moody disagreed, saying there were some spots that didn't come off, finishing with an obvious look at Snape.**

**His eyes narrowed, and he did something very strange, his right arm flinched like he meant to grasp hold of his left** **forearm like he'd been stung.**

Harry felt a buzzing go off in the base of his skull, glancing down at that forearm as well and so very sure he should remember something being there on Snape's... but then he looked around and saw no one else had clue what this could mean so he didn't press it.

**Moody laughed at the reaction, telling Snape to run along to bed.**

"Be a good little bat and I'll throw you some fruit later," James happily agreed.

"Don't be ridiculous Prongs," Remus said back without looking up, "he's obviously more of an O- type."

"Why should that stop me?" James demanded over the other three's giggling, "as if I'd ever give him what he actually wanted."

Remus could have kept the banter going, but he was far too curious for this night to be over and Harry to get away from Snape in general to keep on.

**Snape was outraged, exclaiming he had just as much a right to walk this castle as anyone.**

**Moody agreed he could prowl away, but he was now looking forward all the more to meeting him in a lonely corridor.**

"I am begging you to sit in on that one pup," Sirius turned pleading eyes on Harry. "Foot trapped or not."

"I'll get right on that," Harry shot back, not at all denying he'd pay good money to see that fight.

**Then Moody added as an afterthought that that he'd spotted the map and Snape must have dropped it.**

"Oh bloody hell," Sirius yelped, his heart starting to beat too hard at where this could lead.

"Remus isn't around to keep him away this time," James groaned.

Harry couldn't deny any such things of happening, because he was quite sure he wouldn't have his map for some time after this night, and it was not an encouraging thought at all.

**Harry realized what was happening as both Filch and Snape spotted it for the first time, and Harry threw caution to the wind and waved to get Moody's attention under the cloak, mouthing at the DADA teacher that was his!**

"Not sure how that makes it better," Lily got out around gnawing on her lip. "He's doing you a favor by not telling your there, not sure if that'll extend to your stuff."

**Snape was reaching for it, an expression of dawning comprehension on his face -**

Remus was resisting the urge to chuck the book across the room, he didn't want to read out this next part.

**but Moody reacted fasted by summoning it to him, the parchment zooming right out from Snape's fingers.**

"Moody is officially my favorite person ever," James sagged in relief.

"We owe him big for doing all this," Sirius agreed fervently.

While as happy as the boys, Lily was still more than curious as to why Moody was. Even having helped out Harry before with the first task, that should have been out of pity or even a reward for Harry doing the right thing. Helping to keep Harry out of trouble like this though was just odd, what was the reason?

**Quickly stuffing it out of sight and correcting himself that was his, he must have dropped it earlier.**

**Snape wasn't paying this any attention, his mind clearly putting together what only Snape could,**

"Well yes, he does have the extenuating circumstances of knowing all of that is yours," Remus rolled his eyes.

"But even he can't think you're stupid enough to have just thrown those around willy nilly," Sirius scowled, "so you've got to wonder what he really thinks Harry's up to."

"Here's hoping I don't have to find out," James huffed, wanting Snape to be gone already.

**Whispering the name Potter.**

**Moody asked what he meant, and Snape turned back in Harry's direction now, his eyes landing unerringly right on him as if he could suddenly see him there now that he knew.**

All five of them gave a nasty shudder at that, more than thankful whatever magic possessed that cloak didn't work like that.

**Putting together that everything that was here belonged to Potter, he was here underneath his Invisibility Cloak.**

"I forgot he even knew about the cloak to," James groaned in disgust. "Merlin that man has successfully wrecked my school life by knowing about both of those now."

"It does indeed put a damper that he figured out that was Harry's that night," Sirius agreed, this not even having occurred to him at the time as he'd been more focused on other things, but it was true, Snape had found it and at once linked it to being Harry's. The man must have put it together as well as the Map that he'd seen it in Marauder hands often enough he'd pieced it all together.

**Snape suddenly put his arm out and began climbing the stairs, clearly thinking he was going to find Harry like a blind man, Harry swore he saw his nose dilating like he could sniff Harry out.**

"I always said that over large nose had to come in handy for something," Sirius rolled his eyes at the idea.

**Harry was forced to lean as far back as he could while still being stuck in place to avoid the fingers, just as Moody barked Snape was being ridiculous, there was no one else around. He'd be happy to pass along the message to Dumbledore though that Snape's first thought was Potter.**

"I should be flattered," Harry grumbled.

**Snape stopped his approach, turning back to glare at Moody what he meant by that?**

**Moody stated that Dumbledore wanted to know everyone who had it out for the boy. In the torchlight illuminating his face, every scar and misshapen feature seemed to hold a whole new ghastly shadow.**

James face gave a nasty twitch at the reminder he hadn't forgotten, it was still very unsettling to picture Moody like that.

**Snape did not reply to that, instead his arm dropped back down to his side and he stated he knew Potter had a habit of wandering after hours, he'd only been looking out for Potter's best interest.**

"A top priority of yours, as you've always made clear," Sirius said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"Habit?" Lily repeated in disgust. "Harry really doesn't do it that often, not even as often as I did. Two or three times a year at best."

Harry did a double take at his mum saying that, she'd never mentioned any explicit school breaking like that to him, but Remus was still eagerly reading and now clearly enjoying Snape's predicament against Moody to notice.

**Moody didn't seem to believe him as he repeated that back at Snape.**

**There was silence all around until Snape spoke up again that he was going to bed.**

"Scamper off with your tail between your legs," Sirius chirped, still wishing more than anything Moody had been around in their day, he clearly came in handy.

**Moody agreed that was the best idea he'd had this night. Then he turned dismissively away from him towards Filch, telling him to hand over the egg.**

**Filch refused,** **clutching the egg as though it were his firstborn son.**

James scowled lightly as his mind flickered to that feeling, not ever having believed he'd mock anyone for that description, but it reminded him too much of his numbered days being able to do that for his own infant and any mockery of it didn't sit right.

**Protesting this was evidence of Peeves' doing!**

"Bloody hell man, you're never getting rid of that poltergeist, move on," Remus sighed.

**Moody shot back it was the property of a school champion and it was to be handed over. Snape walked past the squabbling duo without any acknowledgement, and clearly outed here, Filch unhappily passed the egg along and turned to leave as well, muttering to his cat to come along, they could still go to Dumbledore and report this.**

"There's Moody's point," Lily rolled her eyes, "Filch can still tell for all the good it'll do without the egg in his possession."

**When both were far out of sight, Moody heaved himself up the stairs to Harry's position, mentioning how close that had been.**

**Harry thanked him for not mentioning he'd been present.**

**Moody asked what the Marauder's Map was, pulling it back out of his pocket and investigating it.**

"Something of the utmost genius," Sirius stated at once.

"Crafted by only the keenest of artists," James quickly tacked on pompously.

Remus pretended he wasn't going to add on by reading, but no one could deny the faint tones of pride lacing his own voice while reading about their map.

**Harry tried to explain what it was while wincing around some pain, his leg was beginning to hurt in its trapped position.**

**Moody's magical eye was going haywire as it studied every inch of the paper,**

Harry couldn't help but to start twitching in unease, some feeling trying to rear up in him warning he didn't like Moody having hold of his map...

**telling him this was some object to be had.**

"Yes!" James crowed as if he'd received the end of all compliments. "Can you believe _the_ Alastor Moody just complimented us!"

"I'm at a loss for words," Sirius agreed, his eager smile not being dampened one bit.

"Can you imagine when you do become an Auror and mention this to him before he even finds it," Remus added for his friends benefit. "Moody'll be so impressed, he'll probably try having you make some for even more buildings and places."

James chest swelled with pride at the very idea of receiving this praise in person, but would never dream of denying, "well of course I just drew it, if he wants full replications he'll owe you two some compensation as well."

"This could be fun," Sirius' smirk widened at once. "Can you imagine us actually making a business of plotting out and recreating our map for other buildings."

"Places like the Ministry for example would go haywire for dozens of copies," Lily couldn't stop herself adding in.

They all looked floored at the idea, nothing like this had even crossed their minds before as anything more than a childhood pet project for their own security, and partial vanity, but this really was the first time they realized what they really could have on their hands.

**Harry agreed it came in handy, trying to ignore his eyes starting to water from the pain as he asked his Professor to give him a hand.**

Sirius was suddenly accosted back to this reality, and remembered back to a time he'd found P-, that rat, stuck in there. He'd fallen in hours ago apparently and was limping for ages afterwards, it really could leave a bruise if someone was left in there long enough not being able to pull themselves out. He didn't say this aloud, what had once been almost a funny memory suddenly made him realize who his brain had been intentionally leaving out this whole discussion of their map and he was not happy at the reminder.

**Moody was momentarily surprised at the interruption before looking up and realizing where Harry still was, quickly grabbing hold of him and pulling him back out. Then he asked Harry if he'd seen who was in Snape's office?  
**

**Harry agreed it had been Mr. Crouch.**

Harry felt his jaw do an odd number, something in him kicking and screaming to say that wasn't quite right, but Harry had more than enough practice to hastily brush that aside and ignore it best he could.

**Moodys magical eye whizzed over the entire surface of the map. He looked suddenly alarmed.**

"Well that can't be right," Lily cocked her head to the side. "He's supposed to be heading security or something, there's no way Crouch got onto the property without Dumbledore knowing, and why wouldn't he tell Moody as well."

"Something about this really isn't adding up," James agreed.

Harry gave a nasty twitch but still declined his answer which he knew he'd be grateful for in the long run.

**Moody found this very interesting, still taking this map in.**

**Harry couldn't think of any way to reply. He was grateful Moody had gotten him out of trouble, and wanted to ask about all this, so threw caution to the wind and asked what Crouch would be doing here?**

**Moody's magical eye went and landed on Harry now, clearly sizing him up on how much to tell him, before answering that while Moody may be obsessed with catching Dark wizards, it was nothing compared to Crouch.**

"Interesting way of putting it," Lily sniffed.

"Moody caught them," Sirius explained for Harry.

"While Crouch threw the book at them, the heaviest and hardest ones he could find, on even the smallest of charges," James finished with the smallest of frowns showing his displeasure.

"It's supposedly to show he's not taking any Death Eater's lightly," Remus sighed, "but really, from what I've heard, he gets bleeding cruel sometimes."

"It seems to be working though," Lily sighed, "as no one's trying to stop him."

Harry was getting a terrible feeling as this continued, he was very sure he had strong feelings about this topic that just weren't coming to the surface quite yet, but thanked them all the same as clearly they didn't like talking about it. Even as anti- Voldemort as they all were, obviously something of what Crouch was doing didn't feel much better.

**Harry then asked if perhaps Crouch knew something more was going on?**

**Moody looked at Harry suspiciously, asking what that could be?**

**Harry didn't want to admit he'd been hearing things from the outside, fearing it could lead to some inquiries about Sirius.**

"I can't really see me being his first train of thought," Sirius gave an uneasy smile, "he and the likes would still think I'm after you after all."

"Better safe than sorry," James muttered, hoping Harry did keep his mouth shut.

**Still, Harry tried to play it off he'd just heard some things, like the Dark Mark at the World Cup and things from the prophet, it was all odd.**

**Moody watched Harry with something like mild respect before telling Harry what a sharp lad he was.**

"Is that really so hard to work out?" Lily rolled her eyes. "No one would think to put those two together?" She wasn't trying to underplay Harry for knowing this, but it wouldn't take a genius either.

"Well most his age are only concerned with Quidditch stats," Remus shrugged, "so I guess it's more of a compliment for paying attention like that."

**Moody's eyes were back on the Marauder's Map as he said Crouch was most likely thinking along the same lines as Harry, all this talk going around was making people nervous. Then his lopsided mouth did something resembling a smile as he finished if there was one thing he hated, his eyes now on the left-hand corner of the map,**

The Marauders knew that map like that back of their own wand of course, so they realized he was in fact looking at the dungeons, back in Snape's direction.

**it was a free Death Eater.**

**Harry just stared, sure Moody couldn't mean what he thought he did.**

Lily didn't even need to see the map to put together what that meant, restraining herself for saying just a few more foul things at yet more proof of what Severus had turned into.

**Then Moody turned and said now he had a question for him.**

**Harry's heart sank as he guessed what was coming, he was going to be asked where this map had come from, which could lead to some awkward answers involving his old teacher Professor Lupin and even his dad, plus the Weasley twins.**

"Two of which aren't exactly Moody's concern," James muttered with just a tad more sulleness in his voice as he realized he was technically speaking of himself in past tense.

"Is this thing even technically legal?" Lily suddenly asked as she did worry about Remus, and the twins for that matter. "Wouldn't you need permission from the Headmaster to have such a thing?"

"Don't know, not like we asked," Sirius rolled his eyes at the thought.

"There's not technically a rule against it," Remus put just a touch more emphasis than was called for into that.

"Of course that makes it all better," Lily snorted.

"This is all pointless anyways," James tried to wave back attention to the important matter, "it's not like Harry's going to spill."

**Instead, Moody asked if he could borrow it?**

"Err," James stuttered, sure he'd heard wrong.

"Great, if it's not one teacher confiscating it, it's another," Sirius scowled as he realized what that really meant, like Harry had a choice.

Remus flushed in remembrance of that action, Sirius had made it clear he wasn't holding a grudge about that but it still wasn't a pleasant reminder as he quickly read in hopes Harry would somehow get past this, or at least have the intentions of stealing it back.

**Harry was so surprised, and grateful Moody had done him a favor this night, he supposed he should return it no matter how fond he was of his map.**

"Well I guess," James blustered, "when you put it like that."

"So long as it's a temporary loan," Sirius stated in no uncertain terms. "If Remus couldn't break the curse no one can, and Moody doesn't need to be leaving with that at the end of the year."

"I'll make sure of it," Harry swore, that uneasy feeling in him still not settling even if he did now understand why he wouldn't get his map back tonight. Something in him was kicking his insides telling him he should have taken another long look at that map before he handed it over...

**He agreed, and Moody thanked him while telling him to get back off to bed. The two climbed the stairs and at first headed in the same direction, Moody still holding the map like a treasure.**

James still couldn't stop a genuine smile creeping across his face. He hadn't been able to help it last night, in between his tossing and turning and thinking over all the events to come, his realization of what had happened to Moody had lingered in there as well. Fear for his life, less accurately his face but still, really had been leaving him slightly dubious of his job of choice he'd been set on...but now he really was considering something else. He always had been a good artist, he'd been the one to hand draw out that map that even impressed Moody in this way, so if he could be of help to this department some other way...

**They meant to split off when they reached Moody's office, but the teacher called Harry back and asked if he'd ever considered a job as an Auror?**

Lily and James couldn't help but startle, the idea hadn't even yet occurred to them that though Harry was the age, he'd have some job in his life. It was really saying something if it was in fact the very one his father was looking for.

**Harry said no in surprise, and Moody told him he should be considering it, while also glancing at the egg back in Harry's arms and also pointing out Harry hadn't been taking that on a walk.**

"Without a leash? He wouldn't dream of it," Sirius smirked.

**Harry agreed he'd been working on the clue, and Moody told him he had no doubts Harry would work it out. Then he did leave.**

**Harry made his way back to Gryffindor Tower, his mind still churning over Snape and Crouch, Crouch being dominant with all the questions about him. Why was he pretending to be ill but coming up here? What had he been doing in Snape's office?**

"Both excellent questions," Lily wrinkled up her forehead, not coming up with an answer she did like, either in explanation or just plain chasing away her chills.

**There was also that small other thing, that Moody actually thought Harry could be an auror. The idea seemed intriguing, but Harry decided as he climbed into bed, he'd like to see a few more noses on the other Aurors before he considered it.**

Causing some smattering of laughter in the end as Remus handed the book a little guiltily to Lily, not wanting to admit that he was rather relieved he wasn't going to be the one to read that next task as well, and masking that by telling Harry, "I do believe the majority of them at least have the full percentage of their noses."

"That's right comforting," Harry smiled back, but something in him was lingering on the idea.


	27. THE SECOND TASK

 

Happy 15th anniversary to the Philosopher's Stone movie! They might not have done everything right, but they did their best, and I reward that!

* * *

Before Lily could take the book, she decided to pass the child along to his father. She'd seen some of the often pained looks he'd been getting lately and understood more than anyone what he'd be feeling, and James wasn't going to argue as he eagerly cradled his care.

Lily may have taken the book with a friendly enough smile, but she was not fool enough not to realize that second task was fast approaching, and she did not want the honors of enduring whatever that was. Still, it was her or somebody else she'd have to be listening to, and at least this way she could more easily cut the boys off when she felt like it.

**Hermione was scolding Harry that he'd told he'd figured out his egg long ago.**

"He said he was very close," Sirius corrected and defended Harry at once.

"And she can't really think he would have figured it out and not told them," James agreed.

**Harry told her to keep her voice down, and he hadn't really been lying, he just needed some time to hammer out the details.**

"You mean figure out the whole second part of it," Remus muttered.

**The three friends were currently having this discussion in their Charms class, and with all the commotion of the rest of the class it was a good place to have this conversation. Today they were working on the opposite of the Summoning Charm, the Banishing Charm, and the object was to try and target pillows into a box on Flitwick's desk, the idea in this being if the pillows hit anyone at least it wouldn't hurt.**

"Clearly Professor Flitwick has never had a pillow fight with Padfoot," Remus absently rubbed his throat in remembrance as he explained, "he goes for the jugular no matter what weapon's in his hand."

"You deserved it for trying to smother me with yours," Sirius said back instantly.

"What even caused that fight?" James asked, trying to spin his mind back to before feathers had flown.

"Sirius wouldn't go to sleep, nothing too unusual," Remus shrugged.

"Oh I remember," Sirius snapped his fingers, "I was trying to figure out why your name is plural. Why is it James, more than one Jame? What happened to the other?"

"Okay, I need another pillow," Remus grumbled, but trying to force past all of Lily and Harry's combined giggling, Lily managed to keep herself going.

**Which was all good in theory, but then there were those like Neville with such horrid aim he was more likely to hit other objects than said pillows, like the Professor.**

Breaking up the boys argument as well so that now everyone was trying to laugh and listen at the same time.

**Harry told Hermione to drop the egg for a moment, he was trying to explain about the rest of his night.**

"A much more important topic I'd like resolved," James instantly agreed, honestly wishing the teachers were the most interesting thing to think about this year rather than his son being in that tournament.

**Ron was stunned that Moody had searched Snape's office, not paying a bit of attention to his own spellwork and banishing Parvati's hat off her head.**

"Ron clearly has the useful aspects of this spell down," Sirius snickered.

**Asking if Moody was here to watch Snape as well as Karkaroff?**

"If so, he's doing a terrible job," Lily rolled her eyes, still smarting over his treatment of Hermione and Neville as much as Harry.

**Harry admitted he didn't know if Dumbledore was telling Moody to do so,**

"If so, then Dumbledore just got a lot more interesting," Remus arched a brow, thinking Dumbledore should trust his staff enough he should never have done this, but then again Dumbledore had also hired a Death Eater, so that man was as unpredictable as it could get.

**but Moody was doing it anyways. Harry was paying no more attention to where his pillow was headed, so it instead did a belly flop off the desk.**

More giggles for that lovely mental image.

**Harry continued by repeating that Snape was apparently here on a second chance.**

**Ron asked if it was possible it had been Snape putting Harry's name in the Goblet?**

They were all in such a good mood, nobody wanted to sit and dwell on how that could honestly be a very real possibility. They certainly hated him enough to believe he'd done it, but they had no more proof it was him than anyone else, so no one tried to say otherwise.

Harry most of all felt deep inside him that this answer wasn't even close...but something in that sentence felt like it should be...

**Hermione told him off for that, reminding of the last time Ron had tried to blame their woes on Snape, and he'd in fact been saving Harry's life.**

James nose crinkled in agitation at the reminder, he'd called himself even with Snape in gratitude for that, but he'd done nothing since then but treat his son, well like he'd treated him so he was far from liking the guy, and that was before what he'd done to Remus and tried to do to Sirius.

**Even while chatting, Hermione perfectly aimed her cushion into the box they were supposed to be aiming for.**

"Oh, you were actually supposed to be aiming for something?" Remus asked with a strained smile, looking for something to laugh about again. "I'd never have guessed the way you and Ron were casting around."

Harry stuck his tongue out at him.

**Harry considered what Hermione said, but couldn't quite rule him out as a suspect as the man had never likened himself to Harry in any way shape or form by never missing an opportunity to have Harry suspended.**

"Suspended," Sirius scoffed, "is too kind, he'd have you expelled the second he could get away with it."

"No matter how many times I see it, I still can't believe he's so petty he treats Harry like James," Remus snapped in agreement.

**Hermione said she didn't care what Moody did, Dumbledore wasn't a fool. He trusted Hagrid and Lupin, when no one else would, so he must have a reason for Snape as well.**

"I don't think those comparisons should count," James grumbled, drawing his wand and creating a few colorful puffs of smoke to amuse his kid, at least someone in here deserved to be having fun since the mere mention of Snape had ruined theres. "Moony and Hagrid aren't gits who treat children like his personal voodoo dolls."

Lily sighed, still wishing more than anything that wasn't true, but knowing it was didn't make it hurt less. She wisehd she could disagree, that Snape being a Death Eater really was his only fault, but after everything he'd done, she honestly agreed with the boys he was past redemption taking whatever his problem was out on those kids.

**Trying to say even if Snape was a bit-**

**Ron cut her off by stating he was pure evil. What other reason did all of these Dark wizard catchers have to be snooping around him?**

"And yet not one of them could find anything," Sirius sighed in disappointment. "What is the matter with our justice system they could get rid of me, but not him!"

James would have reached around and smacked Sirius senseless for that joke he still hated if he hadn't been holding baby Harry. Remus also temporarily considered cursing Sirius, but chose to ignore him rather than acknowledge that.

**Hermione moved on to ask about why Crouch would be acting ill? It was all very odd of him to be doing that while having missed the Yule Ball.**

"One of our main main problems right now, yes," Lily agreed.

**Ron told her she was being to uptight about Crouch because of how he treated Winky while one of his pillows hit a window.**

**Hermione snapped back Ron just wanted to blame everything on Snape, while sending another pillow into the box.**

"Got to be impressed with Hermione's skill of multitasking at least," Sirius put a winning smile in place to stop his two friends glaring at him. "She's arguing and still managing to keep at her work."

**Harry belayed both of them by asking the real question, why was Snape on his second chance? What had happened to his first one? He'd waved his wand carelessly while speaking, but to his surprise his cushion had landed where it was supposed to.**

"Apparently Harry can to," James laughed in surprise.

**Adhering** **to Sirius' wish of hearing about anything odd at Hogwarts,**

"Oh yeah, I think this qualifies," Remus gave an odd smile, thinking, 'he can't do anything worse than come back, right?'

**Harry sent him a letter telling of his midnight experience.**

"Can't wait to hear that response," James muttered without enthusiasm, silently agreeing with Remus, Sirius could do something equally as stupid like try dogging Crouch next to see what he was up to, he wouldn't put it past him.

**Harry then turned his attention to his real problem of breathing underwater for an hour.**

"The only thing I can think of," Lily sighed, "is a potion to turn you semi aquatic, but that's so advanced for you dear."

"Same with Transfiguration," James scowled, his mind trying to go back to something lower level that could help Harry out, but he was drawing a blank.

**Harry had previously mentioned aqua-lungs to Ron, and he offered up the idea of Harry summoning one of those to him.**

Sirius turned to explain the concept to James while Remus adamantly shook his head and said quickly, "no offense, but I hope you don't follow that advice. Mostly because you are so far away from anything Muggle, I don't think even Dumbledore could summon something from so far away."

James looked disappointed, now that he knew what these things were that sounded really cool, he'd have liked to hear about Harry using one.

**Hermione pointed out all the flaws of this, like Harry would have to learn to use one in under an hour,**

"You mean you can't just slip it on?" Harry asked in surprise.

"You might try and let the teachers let you go to the nearest Muggle place so you can by one," Sirius offered. "Then you'd have time to practice."

"Much less fun than stealing it and making it up on the fly," James pouted even if he did agree.

**plus the act of Summoning it would most likely draw Muggle notice flying from where ever it was.**

"A fairly good point," Lily chuckled.

**Hermione offered Harry should try and Transfigure himself into a submarine or something,**

"Machines are harder to pull off then animals," James shook his head in disagreement.

**but that might be beyond Harry as they didn't start human transformations until sixth year.**

**Harry agreed he didn't fancy trying, he'd likely end up with a periscope sticking out of his head forever.**

"Such a missed opportunity," Sirius smirked.

**Harry suggested he should piss off Moody, he'd turn him into something**

All four of them started laughing raucously, Harry's continued fear of being Transfigured because of that instant still hadn't worn off in hilarity.

**but Hermione corrected she doubted Moody would let him chose his Transfiguration in a very serious voice.**

Sirius was still to busy getting his breath back to make his favorite joke, in fact his laughter had doubled that Hermione had thought Harry meant that as more than a joke.

**She insisted Harry should try a Charm to work this problem out,**

Lily huffed and pouted she couldn't think of one to help with this.

**so Harry resigned himself to another seemingly endless pout of page flipping in the library.**

"Most students reach that conclusion by their first year," Remus agreed, "and you seem to double the amount of time you spend in there above them."

**Harry tried everything revolving the text, even going to ask McGonagall if he could peruse the restricted section, even asking the librarian Pince for advice, but still found nothing that would help him to live underwater for even an hour.**

"This is not encouraging," James started to frown, getting a little twitchy at his own blank mind. This felt like a real laps in his magical education that above some high level magic, some kid could have fallen in the lake in all these years and could have drowned because Hogwarts had never taught them to survive the instance. True when this had happened the giant squid was prone to save people, but that wasn't the point right now.

"I'm sure there must be something," Sirius groaned as he ran his hand through his hair, "I know I've heard of people visiting mermaid villages before, but for the life of me all I know is a potion that temporarily gives you gills."

**Harry could feel that old feeling of panic seizing him again, now watching the lake on the grounds in a whole new light. He'd always looked to it as a bit of scenery, never before really seeing the stone gray surface like a deep void.**

Remus started fidgeting with the sleeve of his robes, his eyes squinting at nothing, but it really was frustrating them they were drawing a blank on this matter as much as Harry. Not to mention they already had some unpleasant memories about that stupid lake nearly having been the sight Sirius had been Kissed, so they weren't keen on Harry having to be back near it.

**Time started jumping in intervals again, weeks turning into days and Harry growing more and more desperate to find something, anything!**

Lily's voice was starting to get pitchy in concern, she really had no clue what was going to happen to her baby if he couldn't go through with this task. The magical binding contracts of the Tournament forcing Harry to participate in these contests were the reason he couldn't voluntarily leave, but what would it do if Harry just wasn't able to complete a task? Would his magical core be damaged just because of some stupid event like this?!

**With two days left Harry started to go off food again.**

After James accidentally released a foul smelling gas from his wand that was mustard yellow, he quickly tucked it away and decided enough of that game, and instead starting bouncing his toddler around on his knee, managing to keep him happy and thump out his nerves all at once.

**The only bright spot he had left before the 24th was Sirius' returning owl, which was one sentence: to tell when his next Hogsmeade weekend was.**

"Because that was encouraging," Lily snapped at him, having to fight down the impulse to strangle Sirius when he technically hadn't done anything wrong, but they were all so stressed that Sirius being unhelpful felt like an extra kick in the rear.

Sirius raised his hands up in surrender at once, just as annoyed at his own self no matter how muddled that made his mind.

"Why do you even want to know?" James demanded of him. "You're not actually stupid enough to come onto the school grounds again."

When Sirius didn't answer, that only managed to make them all squirm to another degree. They knew he could get away with it, if anyone could survive on the grounds of Hogwarts it was a Marauder, but they'd still felt a lot safer with Sirius being far away from where Snape and an Auror, even a retired one, were.

**Harry even flipped the paper over to find the rest of the message.**

Remus had to plug his nose to stop himself snorting with laughter, but the indignant look on Harry's face really would have been priceless under any other circumstances, as that really was possibly the shortest note Sirius have ever sent anyone.

**Hermione whispered the answer to him which Harry quickly wrote down and sent back.**

"That would be so helpful if I lived that long," Harry said with a forced smile in place, at least giving them all the reminder that he had.

**Harry felt his anxiety somehow ramp up all the more as the owl took off again. He'd somehow thought Sirius would come back with an answer as well, but in his haste to write down the Crouch/Snape/ and Moody stuff he hadn't even mentioned his egg.**

"Not like I'd be much help anyways, clearly," Sirius grumbled, starting to feel an ache in his chest that he'd been so useless lately. He hadn't been able to help Harry with any of these tasks, and had in fact been causing Harry more sleepless nights than anything remotely helpful.

**Ron asked why he'd even want to know, and Harry responded back lifelessly, trying to cling to that flare of hope he'd had at Sirius' note.**

Sirius forced himself to perk back up at that though, at least he was helping in some way by keeping Harry's moral up even for a second.

James recognized the same thing, and responded by making faces at his baby.

**They were due at a Care of Magical Creatures lesson, where Hagrid had thankfully stopped forcing interaction with the Blast-Ended Skrewts.**

"Well this is a pleasant start," Remus managed a smile, very thankful if Hagrid had moved on from those illegal things.

**Maybe because there were only two left,**

"More good news," Lily chirped.

**or because he was trying to prove he could do anything that Professor Grubbly-Plank could,**

"I already knew he could," Sirius scoffed.

**Hagrid had instead been continuing on unicorn lessons.**

"Can't deny I'm relieved to hear that," James beamed.

"No offense to Hagrid, but I do hope he does follow this more common line of thinking," Remus agreed, thinking that whole ordeal with the skrewts would be worth it if it had finally made Hagrid realize the things he should and shouldn't be showing class.

**It turned out that Hagrid knew quite as much about unicorns as he did about monsters,**

"Well I already knew that," Sirius smiled, "he just doesn't show it as much."

"Could have fooled me," Lily shook her head affectionately.

**though it was clear that he found their lack of poisonous fangs disappointing.**

"Oh boy, poisonous fanged unicorns," Remus shook his head at the thought, "please don't tell Hagrid about that, or he might start up more crossbreeding."

**Today he had managed to capture two foals.**

"Ha!" Sirius barked in triumph. "Lets see that Grubbly woman get away with that."

Lily was smiling privately to herself behind the book, thinking those boys had taken that woman way to personally, but as loyal as the Marauders were, she wouldn't be surprised if they resented any teacher taking over a position of someone they liked. It certainly explained the lackluster way they were treating any mention of Moody.

**Unlike full-grown unicorns, they were pure gold.**

Harry's eyes flipped wide in surprise as he remembered those beauties.

**Parvati and Lavender went into transports of delight at the sight of them,**

James couldn't stop his own triumphant giggles at Hagrid not only one upping Grubbly-Plank, but also managing to stun those two uppity girls.

**and even Pansy had to work hard to conceal how much she liked them.**

"Glad to hear she's not a completely heartless monster," Remus smiled, as he'd never met a person who resisted those babies charm.

**Hagrid was going over their growth ages, noting how much easier they were to spot at this age and didn't start to change silver until two, nor grow horns until four. They didn't go pure white until seven.**

"How long do they live?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Average age is twenty," Remus happily supplied, "some up to thirty. Those that are domesticated and in captivity can live up to forty or fifty."

Harry couldn't imagine anyone actually owning a unicorn, let alone riding one, but he'd certainly love to see that.

**The babies were more trusting than their older counterparts, so the boys were welcomed to come forward and pet them, Hagrid encouraging them all to offer sugar lumps.**

"They'll never let you leave if you do that," Remus chuckled.

**Hagrid called Harry over to him, while the others swarmed the babies,**

"Not all at once," Lily couldn't help but caution, "still only a few at a time, don't want to startle them."

"Yes Mum," Sirius picked at her, which she ignored.

**and asked how he was doing?**

**Harry agreed he was fine, and at Hagrid's prompting, a bit nervous. Hagrid clapped Harry on the shoulder, saying he wasn't surprised one bit, he'd be fine!**

Even though he knew Hagrid to be wrong, Harry still couldn't help a warm rush of reassurance that Hagrid had such unwavering confidence in him. Harry knew right then he'd come out of this task on top just for that alone.

**Asking if he had his clue all figured out?**

"For the most part," Sirius rolled his eyes.

**Harry hesitated answering at first, wondering if he should ask Hagrid for advice. Had he ever gone into the lake to deal with those creatures?**

"That's actually not a bad idea," Remus said in surprise.

"I'll bet Hagrid would be more than happy to spill," Sirius agreed, "it might even be something insanely easy to get a hold of, since Hagrid's no great shakes at magic."

Harry just sighed though, feeling confident he wouldn't be asking Hagrid for help with this considering that would be confessing to the man who'd just given him such comfort that he had no idea what he was doing.

**Hagrid hadn't waited for an answer, already patting Harry's shoulder with confidence that he'd win, while Harry sunk a few inches into the soft ground.**

They all realized that at the same moment as Harry, so it was only strained smiles for Hagrid's over enthusiasm.

**Harry couldn't bring himself to ask after that, and ruin Hagrid's proud smile.**

**By the night before the task, Harry was sure he was in a living nightmare.**

Even Harry couldn't stop a forceful shiver at that, he'd only had just this amount of time before to practice a Summoning charm he'd already heard of, now he was supposed to find one and master it in less than twelve hours!

His panicky feelings managed to subside the moment he blinked his haze of fear away and realize where he was, at least feeling safe in the knowledge those around him weren't blaming him one bit for this mess he was in.

**He knew that even if he found a spell by now he'd still have to learn it in time to use it. Why had he done this to himself? He should have been working on this since the beginning!**

"Oh I don't think that's your fault," Lily said instantly, "you acted like everyone else in that situation would have."

Harry had to bite his tongue from bitterly pointing out Cedric had already figured it out first, and he'd probably come in first place by doing some masterful thing. At this point Harry wouldn't be surprised if the perfect Hufflepuff invented his own spell to combat this! Still he said none of that aloud, it wasn't his mother's fault she'd gotten him instead.

**He was berating himself for all four years of his schooling and his slacking off, what if a teacher had ever mentioned how to breathe underwater?**

"Then Hermione would know how to do this," James soothed, "and if she dosen't know and she's at least a year above you, then I'm confident this isn't your fault in lapse in knowledge."

Harry actually did feel himself relax at that being pointed out.

**Still he and his friends were frantically turning pages in the library, but whenever the word water came about, it was usually some potion ingredient.**

**Ron snapped in frustration that this just wasn't a task to be done! The closest he'd found was a drought spell to clear puddles,**

"But that's not strong enough for the whole lake," Lily sighed, that charm had crossed her mind but she hadn't suggested it for this reason.

**but it wasn't powerful enough to drain a lake!**

"Not now Sirius," Remus cut him off before Sirius could point out Lily had finished Ron's sentence. He pouted at his friend but didn't argue the point, he wanted to hear about this task being over already as much as anyone.

**Hermione was still being insistent, saying it must be in here somewhere!**

**Ron ignored her, saying Harry's only option was to go down to the lake, stick his head in and demand they give back whatever they took.**

Tension broke in the room once again because of Ron, Harry actually laughing so hard he started listing in his seat and he couldn't help it. He truly missed his best friend.

"I genuinely hope you try that," Sirius happily brushed some hair out of his face, "you will definitely get points for originality."

Remus held himself back from pointing out that it wouldn't work, but at least no one could say Harry hadn't tried.

**Hermione hissed at him he was being ridiculous, there must be a way! She seemed to be taking the fact that she hadn't found her answer in the library as a personal insult, it had never failed her before.**

"Actually it has several times now," James happily pointed out. "You didn't find out about the stone in there, or the Chamber of Secrets."

"Technically the Stone was in a book she'd previously checked out," Lily countered just to poke back at her husband.

"And she did find information about the Basilisk in a book from there," Remus agreed.

"Okay, fifty, fifty," Harry pacified before Sirius could argue anything back.

**Harry bemoaned that he hadn't ever tried to become an animagus like his godfather.**

"Why would that have helped?" James asked in surprise, ignoring his internal wince that of course Harry would say Sirius' name rather than his, he'd actually seen Padfoot as more than a memory.

"I didn't know you couldn't chose the animal," Harry shrugged.

**Ron agreed Harry could be a goldfish by now.**

"Even if you could chose, I'm sure you would have picked something better than a puny fish," Remus sniffed.

"Like an alligator," Sirius happily agreed.

**Hermione snapped they were being ridiculous, it took years to be one of those and you had to take the time to register and all sorts,**

"That's half a lie," James raised a challenging brow, "you don't _have_ to register."

Lily ignored him, she knew Harry had meant it as a joke and James returning Hermione with sarcasm wasn't helping anything.

Sirius clearly didn't as he kept going sadly, "but that first half is true, we started at the end of our third year and didn't manage it until the beginning of our fifth. Even if you had been practicing from the whole time you knew about them, you would only be able to go about half way."

"Still," Remus couldn't help but point out speculatively, "he could manifest certain parts, so if he had been something aquatic, it may have been enough to get him through this."

"None of this is helpful," Lily cut them all off for good.

**still pointing out that the Improper Use of Magic Office kept a very strict list of people who could so that the power couldn't be abused.**

"Hermione is clearly focusing on the wrong things here," Sirius muttered so Lily wouldn't snap again.

**Harry told her to cool it, he'd been joking.**

**Hermione was ignoring him now to as she snapped how useless half of these spells were, who wanted to make their nose hair ringlets?**

"And why wouldn't you?" James returned innocently.

**Fred popped up then to say it was certainly a conversation starter.**

"There's my point," James gestured vaguely to Lily's ever growing annoyance that she couldn't be done with this.

**The three looked up in surprise to ask what the twins were doing here.**

"Lost I'd guess," Remus snorted.

**George told they'd been sent to get Ron and Hermione to see McGonagall.**

"Why?" All of the boys asked at the same time Lily read out;

**Hermione asked why, and Fred said he wasn't sure, but she'd looked grim about something.**

"Well that's not encouraging," Sirius frowned.

"What could she be talking to them for and not Harry?" Remus agreed uneasily.

**Harry exchanged an uneasy look with his friends, wondering if their head of house was going to tell them off for Harry getting help from them.**

"Oh she wouldn't," Lily wriggled with unease at the idea.

"I'm positive that's not what this is about," James said with conviction, their old head of house was bound to give Harry more slack than that.

**Still, they had no choice, so they promised they'd meet Harry back in the common room, to bring as many books with him as he could so they could keep looking.**

**Harry was left on his own through another mountain of books with such titles as** **A Guide to Medieval Sorcery, An Anthology of Eighteenth-Century Charms, and Dreadful Denizens of the Deep.**

"Really, those last two sounded promising?" Remus said.

"I don't even remember what they're about anymore," Harry sighed, "even if I had found a spell, I was so tired by then I'd have read right over it."

They were all shifting around again in unease, that worry creeping up again of how had Harry lived through this one. It was much less scary than the dragon, and yet still somehow more stressful.

**Harry eventually was kicked out because of curfew and did indeed drag many more thick spines with him up to his common room, where Crookshanks took to settling on his lap and people passed Harry by wishing him luck.**

"Never mind that you must have looked like hell by then," James muttered mutinously.

**All seemed convinced Harry would do something just as spectacular as his first event.**

"Oh hey, what if you used your firebolt again," Sirius suddenly yelped in excitement. "You'd pelt through the water faster than swimming, and so long as you were fast and held your breath the whole time, you could be in and out."

"Have you ever flown a broom under water?" Lily asked in honest curiosity.

"Well, no," James answered, "but I think the idea has merits."

Remus clearly didn't agree as he quickly poked holes, "well it's still not a good idea not to test the idea first incase there is resistance, in which case Harry wouldn't be able to move any faster than normal, plus I'm positive for mermaids to be in there that it's going to be very deep and large, he still might not be able to hold his breath long enough to find what he's looking for."

"Well you're just no help at all," Sirius pouted as he sat back.

**Harry couldn't find the breathe to answer them, and by midnight he was all alone.**

"Where'd Ron and Hermione go?" Lily yelped in concern.

"They never came back," Harry admitted, starting to flatten his hair in nerves as he was sure he'd see them again sooner than he was thinking...but not how he was expecting.

**He'd gone through his last book, and shame was settling in. He couldn't do this task. He'd have to go down there tomorrow and face Bagman's surprise, Karkaroff's smugness, Flure saying how unsurprised she was as he was just a little boy.**

Harry slumped back in his seat, trying to ignore the mortification bubbling in him.

James caught sight of this and wasted no time in telling him, "you can't go blaming yourself for not getting this Harry. These were not designed for your age in mind, and honestly you still never should have been doing them in the first place."

Harry watched him for a moment before giving an honest smile. He didn't exactly feel better, but it still felt good no one in here was judging him for not being able to do so. He could suffer through all those other people's reactions so long as those in here shot their mouths off at them because of it.

**He knew Malfoy would laugh himself silly, and Hagrid would be crestfallen.**

Though Harry winced particularly hard at that one, knowing that would hurt the worst.

**Harry stood abruptly from his seat, dislodging Crookshanks who gave him an unhappy hiss before slinking away.**

"Yes, how dare the person move," Remus muttered to himself.

**Harry made up his mind, going to fetch his Invisibility Cloak. He was going back to the library, and he would stay there until he found something!**

"The fact that you've used that cloak to sneak into the Library more than anywhere else in that castle," Sirius shook his head, "I really never would have guessed it."

Lily quickly countered with, "well I'm not going to pretend to be disappointed."

**Time kept marching on, soon it was almost three in the morning, and still Harry's nimble fingers kept pushing more pages along, one more book, it had to be in the next book...**

**The mermaid from the painting was still sitting on her rock, having a poke at Harry's head with his own broom while he floundered in the water.**

"I'm thinking you finally fell asleep," James chuckled lightly.

"No, really?" Sirius challenged back. "I think Harry finally gave up and decided to hide in there with his broom."

**Harry was trying to demand it back, but she just kept laughing and poking him in the head.**

**Harry told her to knock it off, that was hurting, but then another voice told him Harry Potter must wake up.**

Lily sighed, hesitating before she read on to find out who was trying to wake her son up to face something like this, she really wasn't looking forward to the end results.

**Harry insisted, with his eyes still shut, that he needed to stop being poked.**

**Dobby insisted he must keep poking Harry Potter, he must wake up.**

"Why's Dobby the one fetching you?" Sirius did a double take in surprise.

"Why can he even see you?" James added, "you fell asleep under the cloak."

"Why didn't Ron and Hermione ever show up again?" Remus groused.

Lily was still ignoring all of those very good questions.

**Harry sat up in surprise, the cloak had slipped off of him and he was still slumped over a book in the library, daylight shining on his face.**

**Dobby was still speaking to him, telling him he had ten minutes to get to the second task.**

"Well at least Dobby poked you awake this time," Sirius offered helpfully, though he agreed he'd rather have just let Harry sleep through it at this point. "So at least he took your advice."

"As if I needed heart failure right before this," Harry absently agreed.

**Harry repeated the time back in shock, even looking at his own watch to confirm, but when he saw Dobby was right, Harry slumped back in his chair in defeat.**

**Dobby was still being insistent, telling Harry Potter he needed to go, Dobby was going to help him.**

"And how is he going to do that?" Remus demanded in surprise.

"Magic," James rolled his eyes, though now leaning forward eagerly as he was really curious to hear what Dobby had been up to so shushed Remus before he could respond.

**Dobby had to help him, because Harry Potter needed to get back his Wheezy.**

"His what?" All the boys asked at once.

**Harry tried to ask what that was, and Dobby insisted Harry had to get back his Wheezy from the lake, the one who'd given Dobby his sweater.**

Sirius flushed in shock, only just managing to stammer out, "they, they took Ron!"

"How on earth did they manage that?" James demanded of nothing, getting a little jittery at the thought.

"You think Hermione and him went down to the lake to test a theory of her's, and..." Lily trailed off as her mind failed to offer up anything after that.

Remus was shaking his head furiously as he objected, "I've never heard of Mermaids abducting anyone, there must be something else going on with this!"

Harry hadn't realized it before, but he was now feeling more panicky than ever about this task! Now not only had he no clue how to survive under the water, he had to find Ron as well!

**Harry grasped what was going on, and began reciting that mermaid song again in horror.**

"They wouldn't actually," Lily looked faint at the idea, unable to complete the thought aloud that they'd never really just leave them to die after an hour, then her mind flashed back to all those horrific stories she'd heard about the champions dying, and now they'd gone and put even more people into this Tournament! She kept reading in a feverish haste now, thinking that this school had officially lost its mind.

**Harry begged Dobby for whatever help he had, and Dobby offered him gillyweed.**

"Haven't I heard of that before?" James cocked his head to the side as it niggled at his mind.

"It's a plant," Lily yelped in shock, "used in potions to help you transform into aquatic life as it'll give you gills and fins. It's not native to Britain though, so I can't imagine where Dobby got a hold of that. I've only ever read about about it in an advanced Potion's text."

"Well whatever works to help me live through this," Harry said pointedly, and Lily took the hint and decided she'd figure out the elf later.

Sirius had to bite his tongue to caution Harry not take that, he still wasn't sure how much he trusted Dobby to be giving Harry anything.

**Harry looked at the slimy green ball and asked what it did, and Dobby promised it would help Harry breathe underwater.**

**Harry couldn't help but ask how sure Dobby was, still remembering the last time the elf had tried to 'help' he'd gone a night without bones in his arm.**

"Glad it's not just me," Sirius huffed under his breath, though Harry heard and acknowledged him with half a look of disbelief, and half agreement.

**Dobby promised he knew what this was, he'd heard McGonagall and Moody talking about it! Dobby would not let Harry Potter lose his Wheezy!**

"Well that we can agree on," Remus said.

**Harry decided he'd have to trust this, he had no other choice. Stuffing the cloak and gillyweed onto his person, Harry thanked Dobby for his help as he sprinted out of the library.**

"I can't deny I'm finally warming up to him," James grinned, Dobby had officially been very useful to Harry this year enough to make up for all his, err, issues in his second year.

**Some people were still making their way out of the Entrance Hall from breakfast as Harry all but flew past them in his haste to make it down to the lake. Stands were already set up around it filled to the brim in anticipation to watch the lake.**

"That's an interesting point I hadn't thought about," Remus couldn't stop himself blurting much to the annoyance of the others who wanted to get this task over with. "How on earth is this going to be spectated by anyone, wouldn't they just be watching the water's surface?"

"They could use Per Speculum," Lily offered distractedly, "cast it so that only the people in the stands could see through to the bottom of the lake."

"Can you use that spell to see through anything?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Inanimate objects," Lily agreed, "it's an old, tricky charm. I imagine some variation of it was used to create Moody's fake eye, plus whatever else was used to see through his own head as well."

While intrigued, Harry didn't press his mother for more details for now.

**Harry came to a screeching halt in front of the judges stand, splattering mud on Flure.**

"I'm sure she'll hex you for getting her dirty before she jumps into water," Sirius snorted.

**A bossy voice demanded why he was so late.**

"I hope Crouch is finally back," James said eagerly, "I want another look at him."

**It was Percy, sitting in Crouch's spot.**

"Why am I not surprised those two are described talking the same way," Remus snorted, as disappointed as the others Crouch had once again been a no show, but this just made his arrival in Snape's office all the stranger!

No one looked to question it now right before this task though.

**Bagman waved him off, saying Harry should be allowed to catch his breath for a moment. Everyone except for Bagman and Dumbledore were smiling at Harry's arrival.**

"Not sorry for your fortune," James grumbled.

**Harry doubled over for a moment to indeed get back some air, and rub out the stitch in his side.**

Remus couldn't help but think back and really realize how far Harry had just run in ten minutes, that really was quite a feet. He could have been a sprinter on the track team if he'd gone to a normal muggle school with that kind of talent.

**He didn't have long as Bagman began spacing them out on the shoreline, pausing at Harry and asking if he knew what he was going to do?**

"Even if he didn't, you going to teach him a spell in front of everyone in the next five seconds?" Sirius couldn't help but snap.

Lily rolled her eyes at him, Bagman was just trying to be friendly, but couldn't deny Sirius had a point this time.

**Harry grasped the plant in his pocket as he said he was good to go. Bagman backed up then, turning on his Sonorous voice and calling for all to hear that on the count of three, the tas would begin.**

**Time was up, a whistle blew, and Harry ignored everything around him as he struggled to remove his socks and shoes.**

"You should have been allowed to at least do that," James sniffed. "The others showed up in swimwear."

"Price of being tardy," Lily sighed.

**Then he stumbled into the icy waters, chewing furiously at the gillyweed. It was slimy and hard to force down his throat, his toes were numb and stumbling over the slick stones and smooth silt, and beyond in the stands Harry could hear laughter. He knew he probably looked ridiculous, wading in without seemingly doing anything.**

"Not everything has to be flashy," Remus muttered, genuinely wondering what the other champions had come up with, but knew he could ask Harry later after the task.

**Now he was up to his chest in the icy liquid, which felt more like fire the temperature was so unbearable, then a breeze blew through and Harry stood there shivering and waiting amid the jeering.**

"How long does this stuff take to kick in?" Harry asked with unease, wondering if he should have been eating it on his run down there now.

"Only a few moments," Lily reassured, "it feels longer because you're waiting for it."

**All at once he felt the change, the sides of his neck stung as his fumbling fingers felt slits appear there, his mouth and nose suddenly wouldn't take in air as if he had a pillow covering them.**

"Fascinating," Sirius said genuinely, he'd never thought what it must feel like for a fish to be out of water, but Harry made a good point of it.

**Without hesitating another moment, Harry flung himself into the water, sucked in the lake, and breathed freely again. Slamming his feet forward, Harry found he was suddenly moving much more easily through the water than he should have, and he looked down to see his fingers and toes were suddenly elongated and had bits of film between them all, he'd gone webbed with flippers.**

"Looks like you got your wish," James grinned, "you sound like you've half turned into a frog."

"Frogs don't have gills by the time they have webbed feet," Remus reminded.

James rolled his eyes at him as that wasn't his point, but didn't start an argument over it for once.

**The water now felt like the perfect temperature, and Harry could see much more clearly than he should have in the grime, plus he no longer needed to blink.**

"I don't care what the others are doing," Sirius smiled, "this sounds by far the best way to do it."

**Silence wasn't bleeding in, so as Harry propelled himself forward he had nothing to guide him through the foggy landscape. The smooth sand below quickly turned into a sea of seaweed and small fish occasionally flashed by and caught his eye, but there was no sign of Ron, merpeople, or even the giant squid.**

"I think that would have been interesting to see up close," James snorted.

"Not if it decided you were shrimp," Remus said, trying to ignore the myths he'd heard about those things eating small whales in the wild, Harry didn't need to discover if that was true or not.

**Nothing as far as the eye could see, Harry was staring unblinkingly ahead of him,**

Sirius wished Harry would quit mentioning that part, he kept blinking spastically every time and it was annoying to have it pointed out.

**trying to discern shapes through the gloom when, without warning, something grabbed hold of his ankle.**

Lily couldn't help but startle just a bit, her foot trying to retract from nothing on instinct.

**Harry twisted his body around to find a grindylow.**

All five of them couldn't help a little shiver of unease at that, but were more thankful than ever Remus had been around last year to teach Harry about these things, Merlin knew what would be happening to him otherwise.

**Harry went for his wand and shouted the spell Relashio, but to his surprise only a bubble came from his mouth, while a jet of water shot the creature in the head, creating a red welt in the green skin.**

Harry couldn't help a little intrigue, he'd learned that spell over a year ago now but he'd only used it for the first time, and was honestly impressed it had even worked. While going over it in class, Professor Lupin had emphasized how hard this could be to pull off underwater where your spells could be temperamental since verbal spells were nay impossible to perform down there. Your best bet, if you hadn't learned silent spells yet, was to avoid them altogether.

**Harry pulled his ankle free, but just as fast he had half a dozen chasing him and trying to pull him down. Harry kept swimming forward, shooting jets over his shoulder until another grabbed his and he gave a ferocious kick, knocking the creature loose and making it go crosseyed back into the weeds.**

Lily forced herself to relax a bit now that Harry was away from that threat, still sending silent thank you's to Remus in her head for teaching Harry about those or this could have turned out much worse.

**That excursion had done nothing to really help put him on a direction, so he was still pushing along when a voice asked how he was doing?**

"Who's talking underwater?" James jumped in shock, the baby in his lap giving a particularly loud giggle for this.

**Harry spun on the spot to find Myrtle.**

"I don't want to know why she's down there, I do not want that image in my head again," Sirius groaned, covering up his ears and wishing he could do the same to his eyes to make that mental image go away.

"Who's using the bathroom during the middle of the tournament?" Remus muttered absently, but Lily ignored him more for not wanting to think about that than anything.

**Harry tried to say her name, but all that came out was more bubbles, causing Moaning Myrtle to giggle.**

"I think that's an oxymoron," James gave a surprised smile.

**She pointed Harry in the right direction, but refused to come with him,**

"It'd probably be cheating if she did," Lily agreed.

**saying the merpeople chased her off when she went that way.**

**Harry gave her a thumbs up in thanks before heading that way, and knowing he was on the right path when he came across a stone statue depicting what must be merpeople chasing the giant squid.**

"So, I'm guessing they don't get along," Remus couldn't help but be a bit interested at the idea of the conflict, he wouldn't deny he'd love to read a study on the matter if there was one out there.

**The closer he swam, the more clearly he could hear that egg song again, now varying that his time was half up and if he didn't hurry, what he'd lost was going to stay here and rot.**

"Gee, thanks," Harry shivered at the horrid idea, he half didn't want the memory back of what his best friend was going to look like in the mermaids clutches...plus he just knew there was someone else down here he was worried about.

**Now Harry was swimming through the outskirts of an unmistakable village, some merpeople swimming to the windows of their houses to peak out at him. They looked nothing like the blonde in the prefects bathroom, these had gray skin and green hair, with thick burly features and powerful fish tails, and all were clutching spears.**

All of them couldn't help but incline away from that thought, no one wanted to think what would happen if they all swarmed Harry at once. They were curious to know what had been done to even convince these mermaids to allow the tournament to go in their dwellings, it was the height of uncommon.

**Harry sped himself along, spotting a few features like gardens and pebbles lining a street way, even a grindylow tied to a stake like a pet.**

"Bet you the equivalent of mermaid Hagrid lives in there," Sirius snorted.

**Merpeople were emerging on all sides now, pointing at his webbed hands and gills, talking behind their hands to one another.**

"Don't know why they bother," James said, "it's not like Harry speaks mermish."

"What would they even be whispering?" Sirius demanded, "hey look at that weird thing go, hope he drowns so we can have dinner."

"Don't make me silence you," Lily threatened without looking up.

**Harry kept his speedy pace as he came across what must be the equivalent of their courtyard, the merpeople song louder than ever, and Harry laid eyes on a humongous statue of a merperson, four ropes bound to it.**

"Guess I'm not surprised," Remus still couldn't stop the goosebumps climbing his limbs at the thought, "one for each person."

"I still want an explanation for how they ended up down there," Lily sighed, knowing she wasn't likely to get that until after the fact with the judges explaining, at least she hoped they would.

**Ron was tied between Hermione and Cho.**

"Why's Hermione there?" Harry yelped in surprise.

"There's no way you got two," James agreed.

Sirius couldn't help but snort in surprise though, saying "Cedric's only been dating Cho for a few weeks, and she's the person he'd miss most?"

"I'd have missed Lily the most even before we started dating," James said at once, more to get a rise out of Sirius than anything.

It worked, as Sirius liked like a kicked puppy at once while bemoaning, "what do you mean it'd be Lily down there!"

"Please keep going," Remus begged of her, though she was watching with honest amusement and a faint blush, admitting she never would have found this so endearing before she'd married James but now it was hilarious to watch Sirius actually acting like this. She did reluctantly turn back to the pages though, wanting to hear about Harry and his friends getting out of this more than Sirius throwing a fit.

**The last was a girl of about eight, her features leaving Harry in no doubt to be Fleur's sister.**

"I'm sure it'll break Roger's heart when he hears it wasn't him," Remus smirked.

Sirius though went from indignant at his best friend, to speculation as asked "What's up with that?"

"What do you mean?" Lily asked "I think it's sweet." Her mind was honestly caught on a time where she knew she would have felt the same way about her older sister.

"Sweet sure, but kind of heartbreaking," Sirius said with a shrug, "I mean Fleur's little sister is there, so what's up with Krum not having some kind of family there, or even a random Durmstrang student Harry doesn't know. Cedric, fine, maybe Prongs is right and he's had a liking for her for ages, but are you telling me the person that kid would miss the most is some random girl he met that year?"

All four of them were looking at Sirius slightly slack jawed, until he gave them a sheepish smile and said, "What? Am I wrong?"

"No," Remus shook his head sadly, "You're right, which is why that was so depressing."

"That poor guy," James agreed

With nothing more any of them could think on the matter, Lily went back to reading.

**All four were clearly in a deep sleep, faint bubbles rising from their mouths.**

**Harry continued forward, still half expecting to be attacked any moment, but the surrounding merpeople did nothing but watch. Harry investigated the ropes keeping them in place, but the knots were not to be undone, and Harry wished he'd brought along that new knife Sirius had given him.**

"I doubt a severing charm would work any better underwater," Remus agreed with a sigh.

**Harry instead turned for help, trying to gesture that he wanted to borrow one of their very sharp spears, but the one just laughed and said they were not to help, only watch.**

**Harry tried to shout in frustration, but only more bubbles appeared, causing them to laugh harder.**

"I don't get why he's still laughing," Lily grumbled, "this isn't funny."

**Still Harry went in search of something else, and went down to the rocky shore and found a rather jagged rock. It took some time to hack Ron free, but then Harry looked around expectantly and still found none of the other champions. Why didn't they hurry up already?**

"I am positive they're not stopping to pet the grindylows," James agreed, his leg starting to jitter in unease for the victims of this, at least baby Harry found it amusing.

**Harry turned his attention on Hermione in impatience, but was at once dragged away by the merpeople, telling him to only take his and leave the others.**

"Well that's just cruel," Lily yelped fiercely. "Harry got there first, I see no problems he shouldn't be allowed to save everyone."

"What would happen if the others don't show up?" Remus agreed uneasily.

"Let's hope we don't have to find out," Sirius huffed.

**Harry refused, trying to fight them off, but the merpeople weren't letting him go if he kept trying to help the girls. Harry looked from them to Ron, wondering if he'd have time to get him out and come back for the others?**

"Most likely not," Lily muttered to herself, the effects of gillyweed didn't last that long.

**Would he be able to find this place again? He looked at his watch to see how much time was left but it had stopped working.**

"Because that's helpful," James scowled.

**Around him the merpeople were muttering in excitement again, and Harry saw Cedric swimming for them with a bubble over his head, distorting his features.**

"What spell is that?" Harry asked in surprise, managing to relax even just a bit now that he wasn't alone surounded by those things.

"Don't know," James said, his face just the same as Harry's, "I've never heard of that."

**He mouthed at Harry he'd gotten lost, as he came forward with a knife and cut Cho free in no time.**

"Well he just came all kinds of prepared," Sirius rolled his eyes, unnecessarily annoyed at him for bringing that along.

**He pulled her upward and out of sight.**

"Good to know Cedric cares so much for the others," James couldn't help but snap, Harry could have won already if he wasn't so busy making sure everyone got out of there, like Cho.

**Harry still hovered there, waiting for Fleur and Krum. Time was running out, what would happen to the hostages after the hour was up?**

Again they all shivered at such phrasing, but really they hoped that was being exaggerated somewhat! They wouldn't really leave those kids down there to die if say someone like Harry hadn't been able to get there, right?

**Water babble started up again, and Harry saw another moving in, Krum, with the head of a shark.**

"You know, I still can't help but like him just for that," James smirked, "he happened to do what I would have in this instance."

"A shark though," Sirius snorted in amusement, "a fish just wasn't grand enough, no he went for the big one."

"Exactly what Prongs would have done," Remus repeated with a smirk.

**His new jagged teeth tried to tear into the flimsy ropes, but they were too small for him to properly gnaw on. Harry feared he'd rip Hermione in half trying.**

"Oh I'm sure he's more careful than that," Lily insisted for comfort at once.

"Sharks can feel pulses in the water," Remus offered helpfully, "so I'm sure he can be precise enough not to hit anything he shouldn't be."

**Harry swam forward and punched his shoulder hard as he could to get his attention, offering his own jagged rock.**

"It's too bad you didn't have that same excuse to hit Diggory," Sirius smirked, which Harry didn't deny.

**Krum took the offering, freed Hermione, and was out of sight in no time. Still Harry couldn't swim away with Ron, his eyes trained every which way in hope for Fleur to arrive.**

**Time was running out, and Harry got desperate.**

**He took back the stone for himself and went after the little girls ropes, but again the merpeople tried to stop him. Harry pulled out his wand.**

Remus couldn't help going a little wide eyed in fear for Harry doing that. He was lucky that whatever was going on these merpeople were playing along, they weren't known for cooperating well with wizards. Harry pulling a wand on them could break whatever truce had been called for this task to play out.

**He shouted at them to get out of it, and while bubbles only came out, he got the feeling they understood anyways.**

"Bit hard to misinterpret a wand on your nose," Sirius agreed.

**They stopped trying to force him away, and Harry kept at his task. Still they were clearly not happy, but stayed well away from him now, so knowing he had the advantage, Harry told them they had till the count of three to get lost, holding up three fingers just to make sure they got the point.**

"You'd be great at charades," James couldn't stop himself saying even as he wriggled around in anticipation for this to almost be over

**By the time he reached two, they'd scattered.**

They all released a breath of relief at that, Harry really should count himself lucky that hadn't gone worse.

**Harry quickly got moving then with Ron and the girl, his mind still fearing what was going to happen when time ran out, would they pull him back to the depths?**

Harry looked wildly around for someone to tell him he was being ridiculous at that thought, and when no one did but in fact looked slightly even more worried, it wasn't exactly a comfort. Now with both of Harry's hands tied in fact with these two, he couldn't even keep his wand on them as a threat, and what about when the gillyweed ran out?!

**Did they eat humans?**

Remus really didn't like the fact that he wasn't a hundred percent sure about that fact, he'd heard conflicting stories on the matter and now didn't feel like the time to get a confirmation.

**Harry kept himself going, the water steadily growing bright around him, but not fast enough. His muscles were starting to cramp, he could feel himself getting waterlogged, the gills were vanishing and he could no longer draw breath, but still he paddled furiously on as the flippers vanished, he knew the air was above him if he could just get close enough...**

Lily forced herself to stop reading no matter how much she didn't want to, just to look up at her son for a moment and tell him, "you and me really need to have a talk about how your mind comes up with the best ways possible to make this tension ten times worse than it should be."

Harry gave her an uneasy smile, unsure if he was being scolded or she was just looking for a release, but she was already turning back to the pages.

**then his head broke the surface.**

Finally they all managed to breathe with ease again as well, lighting another check mark down in their brain, two down, just one more to go! That last task wasn't going to be over fast enough for them.

**Air washed over his face, he erupted in shivers again but he didn't care as he pulled Ron and the girl up with him. Along came several green heads, but they were all smiling.**

"Well that's nice," Remus huffed, still half wanting to curse those stupid things for freaking Harry out as much as the grindylows.

**The crowd in the stands was going crazy, shouting and screaming as many seemed to fear that Harry had reemerged with someone dead.**

Harry suddenly spasmed, his eyes rolling into the back of his head for a moment and shaking so hard he nearly fell over, but the yellow haze swallowing his brain was over as fast as it had come, and he blinked back into the world around him feeling very close to vomiting but having no idea why. He tried to both explain himself and apologize around shaking lips, but though the tight worry in all of their eyes didn't lessen any, Sirius kept a tight hold on Harry's shoulder and James was juggling his infant and watching Harry like at any moment he was prepared to cast a protective charm on him to stop his head hitting anything, no one could bring themselves to ask Harry a single question of why on earth Harry would have a reaction to that. It didn't stop them from turning over what Lily had read over and over in their head...

**The two seemed fine though, the girl glancing fearfully around her as she clung to Harry for support, Ron spitting out a bit of water and telling Harry how wet it was.**

Harry forced out some approximation of a laugh, his skin still too white for it to be believable, still blinking far too fast for them to believe he wasn't still trying to process what he was hearing rather than some accumulation of memories.

Though for the life of him Sirius actually didn't want to make the joke, still far to worried about what Harry had almost remembered to feel it, he still said, "at least you can always count on Ron to point out the important stuff."

Harry gave him such a relieved smile it had been worth it, and James sat back in his seat and kept the baby in his lap all the closer to him to ignore the interaction while still keeping an eye on Harry.

**Then Ron saw the little girl and asked why she was here?**

"Did he actually expect him to leave her?" Remus asked absently, trying to refuse to allow his mind to guess where Harry's had gone and mostly failing so coming up with far too many options of what could be bothering him.

Lily fidgeted with the pages for a few moments, not particularly wanting to answer but it would still feel better than letting her own mind wander. "Well if that's Ron's first response, then I guess we were worried for nothing. Perhaps the merpeople would have brought up the unrescued kids on their own."

She tried to instill as much confidence as she could, especially into the first part of that statement for Harry's benefit, wanting to believe more than anything Harry's flashback or memory relapse of whatever he'd nearly felt wasn't going to be as horrible as they were all thinking...though no one really believed that.

**Harry explained Fleur never showed up, and he couldn't just leave her!**

**Ron told Harry he was being a prat, had he really taken that song seriously?**

"That's a good point," Sirius quickly shot off, now knowing there had always been one fell safe way to get Harry to laugh and hoping it would work now, "how come I wasn't the one down there! You'd miss Ron more than me?"

He splayed such puppy eyes, Harry really did cave and give a genuine laugh for that.

**Dumbledore wouldn't have let them drown!**

"He makes it sound so obvious," James grumbled, thinking Ron wouldn't have said the same if he'd heard of all the past tournaments like they had. Lily's panicky little worries at the start of this didn't seem so foolhardy now.

**Harry insisted the song had said-**

**but Ron told Harry they'd only phrased it that way so the champions would return in the time limit. Had Harry really come up last because he was acting the hero?**

"Acting is inaccurate," Remus said with a strained smile, but all for happily talking about before Harry came out of the water and they'd gained a new worry. "What Harry did is very brave, and I'm still offended Krum and Diggory clearly didn't even consider doing the same."

Harry gave a bone deep shiver, something of what Remus had said hadn't exactly made him feel better and in fact was making an onset of his migraine reappear, but Lily quickly realized this and kept reading loudly before Harry could lose whatever color he'd even partially regained.

**Harry felt stupid and annoyed at the same time. It was all good for Ron to be saying this, he'd been asleep the whole time. He hadn't seen how spooky that lake bottom was.**

"Remus' point exactly," James agreed.

**Instead of answering, he told Ron to help him out with the girl, she didn't seem able to swim very well.**

**The three hauled themselves back to the surface, accompanied by the merpeople singing their screechy song above the surface.**

"I'll bet the crowd just loved hearing that," Sirius rubbed his ear absently.

**Madam Pomfrey was already tending to the other champions and their rescuees.**

There it was again, Harry was now confident someone in that list of names had been the cause of such a powerful memory trying to swarm him, but even the thought of guessing had him wanting to press his hand to his mouth to wipe sweat from his lip and had his stomach curling in protest along with his mind growing in pain.

**Dumbledore and Bagman stood nearest to the shore, smiling out at them, but Percy wasn't waiting. Looking much younger than usual and very white, he went splashing out into the water to meet them.**

"Aww," Lily couldn't help but coo slightly, wondering just how much Percy had been told of what was going on, how seriously he'd have taken this task and if he'd been wondering about Harry taking so long because something was wrong with Ron.

**Meanwhile Madame Maxime was trying to restrain Fleur,**

"Oh good," Sirius said absently, he really had been concerned what had happened to her to stop her grabbing her sister and was glad she hadn't been a casualty this challenge.

**who was busy being hysterical, fighting tooth and nail to return to the water.**

"I don't want to hear anyone calling Harry overreacting now," James arched a brow, if honestly impressed at the girl. "She's the one who's clearly thinking her sister was really in danger."

"Apparently it was just the actual victims who didn't know they weren't really victims," Remus snorted, though that still didn't track right with Krum and Diggory. Either they'd worked out the hostages weren't really in danger, which was odd as Harry and Fleur hadn't gotten that memo, or they hadn't stuck around enough to care.

**She was screaming for Gabrielle, demanding to know if she was okay, or hurt?**

**Harry tried to tell her she was fine, but was so exhausted he could barely catch his own breath.**

**Percy had Ron seized tight to him, while Ron was vainly struggling to get free.**

Causing all of them to have smiles of happiness for that moment, erasing the last of their worry for whatever Harry had been feeling from the top of their minds, for now. Whatever he'd been remembering would come, and they'd deal with it then, for now it was to adorable to pass up the moment for Sirius to tease Percy, "I'm going to remember this the next time he's spouting off about how important his cauldron bottom report is."

**Flure got herself free and came forward, clinging to her sister and apologizing that it had been the grindylows that had stopped her.**

"Well obviously Beauxbatons doesn't have as good of a DADA teacher as Harry got," James smiled pompously for his friend, while Remus rolled his eyes at Prongs.

**She was in tears as she sobbed over her sister, while Harry was forced over by the others and had a blanket wrapped so tight around him he felt like a burrito, and was force fed a potion that made his ears steam.**

"Don't want you catching a cold on top of everything," Lily happily agreed.

**Hermione waddled up to him, praising what a good job he'd done, figuring this out all by himself.**

"She's so surprised when I can do anything without her," Harry mock pouted.

**Harry was fixing to correct he'd had help from Dobby, but then he spotted Karkaroff trying to listen in. He'd been the only judge not to be so visibly relieved by their return.**

"As if I needed more confirmation he was a heartless scumbag," Sirius scoffed.

**Harry pitched his voice as loud as he could for him to hear that Harry had indeed done just that.**

James let out a booming laugh of pride at that, ruffling his son's hair as the father told that had been a classic move.

**Krum tried to draw back Hermione's attention that she had a beetle in her hair,**

There was a slight buzz in the base of Harry's skull, something telling him he should know something about that, but since he was still suffering from his last memory shock he didn't even give the feeling a glance.

**Harry was sure Krum was trying to remind her who'd really saved her from the lake**

Lily couldn't help but feel just slightly bad for Krum, he clearly really liked Hermione and yet he was most likely jealous of any attention Hermione ever gave Harry.

**but Hermione just impatiently brushed the bug away and ket talking to Harry, telling him he was way outside of his time limit though and asking if he'd gotten lost?**

"More like, I found you first, I just stuck around the longest," Remus finished for him when it was clear Harry was going to trail off, in modesty or embarrassment he wasn't sure.

**Harry's stupidity was growing by the moment, now that he was clear headed it seemed obvious Dumbledore wouldn't have let them die just because the champion had failed.**

"Well sure, in hindsight," Lily rolled her eyes, "but no one had better blame you for thinking otherwise, I wouldn't have really put it past them at this point."

**He should have just grabbed Ron and gone, Cedric and Krum had.**

"I hope you don't start using them as role models," James sniffed in disgust, he wasn't particularly fond of either of them even if they did sometimes amuse.

**They hadn't taken the mersong seriously...**

"How do you know how I would have taken it?" Sirius demanded at once, "you never showed it to me?"

Harry still laughed again, whatever feelings he had at himself vanishing at Sirius' distraction.

**Dumbledore was crouching at the water's edge in conversation with what seemed to be the chief merperson.**

"Why am I not surprised Dumbledore speaks mermish," Remus chuckled, suddenly this whole task made a lot more sense to him, it wouldn't surprise him in the least if Dumbledore was actually on friendly terms with the merpeople.

**When he was done he called the judges over to him so they could discuss all of the champions before releasing the scores.**

**Madam Pomfrey was now trying to rescue Ron from Percy, then tried to go for Fleur and her sister, but the elder girl refused and insisted her sister was to be looked after first. Then she swooped in on Harry, thanking him for saving her though he hadn't had to.**

**Harry belligerently agreed, now wishing he'd left her tied up with the rest of the girls.**

Sirius released a sharp bark of laughter, guess Harry had a petty side when he got embarrassed.

"Oh I'm sure Hermione would have loved to hear that one," Lily giggled.

"Don't let Cho hear you thinking that one," James gave his son a winning smile, "she probably thought you grabbed the wrong hostage, she was likely thinking she'd been both yours and Cedrics."

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Harry grumbled at the lot of them still smirking. "You know you were thinking the exact same thing as me."

"Yes," Remus agreed, "but we admit to it."

**Fleur bent and gave Harry a kiss on each cheek, much to his burning embarrassment,**

Harry was now wishing he'd passed out when he had the chance, it would have been much kinder than having to watch them all collapse laughing at his cherry red face.

**then she turned on Ron and thanked him for helping as well.**

**Ron agreed he'd done a bit, still looking hopefully at her.**

"I'm sure he's very hopeful for something," Sirius got out around his laughter.

**Fleur swooped down and kissed him too.**

Harry couldn't help joining in the laughter this time, Ron had looked so pleased and flustered at the same time.

**Hermione looked furious,**

"What's eating her?" James demanded lightly, "they're just getting thanked is all."

"I'm sure Hermione's just upset because she was fixing to, err, thank him as well," Sirius tried to insist around his chuckles.

**but was interrupted by Bagman announcing for all to hear that the Merchieftainess had told of what all had happened and the scores were as follows out of fifty.**

**Flure had successfully used a Bubble-Head Charm,**

"I've never heard of that," Lily pouted.

"You think it's a new spell invented?" Remus asked curiosly. "Sounds simple enough in theory, wonder what year it's taught at."

"Clearly more than a fifth year, or Hermione would have come across it," Sirius shrugged.

**but was attacked by grindylows, and failed to retrieve her hostage. So was awarded** **twenty-five points.**

"Still half credit for the magic, seems fair," Lily agreed.

**Polite applause followed while Flure told how she didn't deserve any.**

Sirius couldn't deny he sort of liked her again for that, she clearly wasn't all about herself as she put on if she was humble enough to admit that.

**Diggory, also using the same Charm,**

"I'm extremely insulted for Harry," James pouted, "it would have been nice if he'd passed that along to Harry along with his stupid clue, or at least told him what book to be in."

Lily wanted to argue that would have been handing Harry the whole task, even Harry hadn't told Cedric how he was getting past his dragon, but really she wouldn't have been upset about it either as Harry had clearly needed the help.

"He should get points off for using the same thing as another champion," Sirius sighed. "I'd accuse them of conspiring."

**was the first back but still outside his time limit of an hour by a minute.**

"Wow, even first place didn't get there fast enough," Remus said in surprise, "I think they didn't estimate that time limit correctly."

"I'll send them a note," Sirius said with a careless shrug.

**He was given forty-seven points.**

**His supporters went wild with applause while Harry's hopes plummeted, if Cedric had been late Harry was doomed.**

**Krum had used some Transfiguration work and came back second, winning forty points.**

"I can see that," James nodded along, though he'd half been hoping both those boys would get some points taken off for not being like Harry and hanging around, though this could possibly be more of a reason why Cedric hadn't gotten a perfect score. James was certainly going to keep thinking so.

**Karkaroff clapped particularly hard, looking very superior.**

"I'm sure he would have awarded a whole fifty if he could have gotten away with it," Sirius muttered to no one's disagreement.

**Then there was Harry, who'd arrived first but according to eyewitness had stayed behind until all hostages were safe, even retrieving the last hence his delay in returning. His two friends looked at him half in exasperation, half commiseration.**

Harry couldn't stop a small smile though, he missed being around his friends and was imagining what they would have said to him had they been here with him now.

**Most of the judges, Bagman paused to give a nasty look at Karkaroff, had felt this showed his moral fiber and should be given full points.**

"Wow," all of them blinked in surprise, pleased beyond words Harry was getting recognized for this act, and Karkaroff could sod off for thinking otherwise.

**Instead, he'd received forty-five points.**

Harry blushed as he was congratulated all around for this, pleased beyond words at their praise no matter how much he tried to convince them to move along, it wasn't that big of a deal, it's what anyone would have done...

**Harry laughed in surprised as his friends began jumping around for joy, Ron congratulating him he wasn't just thick, he'd been showing moral fiber!**

"Technically you were doing both," James beamed at him, "you're just that good at multitasking."

**Fleur was clapping along happily as well, and while Krum tried to turn away and talk to Hermione again, she was too busy cheering for Harry to notice.**

"That's his problem," Sirius sniffed, "he should have used that stupid shark head for something more useful than nearly ripping her in half."

**Bagman rounded off by saying that the final task would happen at dusk on June 24th.**

Harry felt a mounting sense of doom at the very idea, but he was still enjoying himself just a little too much at the warm attention from his family to give it much thought.

**The champions would be given more details before hand, in the meantime, they were free to go.**

**Harry felt dazed as Madam Pomfrey began ushering them all up to the school for a warm change of clothes. He had ages until June to worry about anything again.**

"Which will hopefully be your problem," Lily shot at Sirius just to get him to stop smirking for a moment, which worked much to her pleasure.

**Next time he was in Hogsmeade, Harry decided as he walked back up the steps into the castle, he was going to buy Dobby a pair of socks for every day of the year.**

They were very happy indeed they could end a chapter one again laughing outright, no one denying Dobby more than deserved it as Lily got up to swap the book in her hand for her baby while James took the hefty object, noting they were well on their way to being halfway done this year. Hopefully nothing to much more exciting could happen.


	28. PADFOOT RETURNS

Favorite chapter of this book! No real reason I'm telling you this...

* * *

Sirius, who clearly still had that last task stuck in his craw, grumbled at Harry, "Well this does prove I was right about Krum, and Cedric. Anyone who leaves those other kids down in that lake are to be avoided by you at all costs."

Lily was frowning down at the little infant in her arms sadly, but still tried for some good, "I don't know Sirius, maybe we were being too harsh on them. Cedric at least, after all, before I heard about Harry's first year it never would have crossed my mind Dumbledore wouldn't put some contingency in place to make sure the unrescued kids came back to the surface. Cedric hasn't had the same bad feelings about Dumbledore recently as we had, I'm sure he just had faith enough not to take that song literally."

Sirius rolled his eyes, clearly not in all agreement, but Remus had a happy smile in place, clearly liking to the idea. "You gave me an interesting idea about Krum as well, what if he saw Dumbledore talking to those merpeople, and pieced the whole thing together from there."

"I can see that," Lily instantly agreed, "he's been staying out on the lake, any Durmstrang student could have seen Dumbledore discussing the task with them, or even more realistically, I'll bet Karkaroff told Krum as soon as he knew that he only had to worry about his one hostage."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Karkaroff did know the others would drown and told Krum to leave them down there anyways," Sirius rolled his eyes at the two of them." *

Harry and James exchanged a look, clearly realizing Sirius was looking to pick a fight, while everyone else just wanted to move on away from that task, so Harry leaned over to Sirius and gently restrained, "I'm positive I'll take your advice as seriously after the task as I did before."

Sirius was instantly derailed, turning back to Harry with a brilliant smile as he declared, "Well how else are you supposed to take it from me?"

Lily and Remus rolled their eyes at him and looked pleadingly at James to go while he had the chance.

James still had a stupid happy smile stuck in place, hoping beyond all measure that Harry would just breeze through the last task and that until that had to arrive they'd spend the rest of his school year hearing of nothing more than homework and actual fun things to laugh about.

**One highlight of the aftermath of this task, was Ron getting far more attention than Harry for once.**

"Why?" Sirius couldn't help but ask, some nasty memories resurfacing of the last time Ron had been in the limelight, that hadn't been pleasant for Sirius. "Ron was asleep the whole time."

"Everyone saw Fleur kiss him along with Harry," Remus reminded, "and I can all to easily picture Harry shoving Ron in the way when anyone asked why."

**People were clamoring to hear his time down in the lake, and at first Ron seemed to be telling the truth. How the teachers had collected them, promised their safety, and he'd awaken when he reached the surface. A week later however, his tale had been embellished to include a fight for his life against a dozen merpeople, single handedly defending all of the women as they forced him under.**

"I like the second story better," James beamed. "Its sounds like a thrilling tale."

"Ron's always been the best at those," Sirius snickered in agreement.

**He made sure to assure Padma, who'd been much more taken with Ron since all this started, that he'd had the situation under control that whole time.**

"Of course," Lily huffed with disgust at such a flighty girl. Ron acting like this was giving her some annoying flashbacks to James as well, so she wasn't going to pretend to enjoy any of this.

**Hermione was not as pleased with his little stunts. She'd been snappish lately with all the people mocking her for being Viktor's missing person, and whenever she caught Ron she'd snap all he could do was snore them to submission.**

"Teasing might not affect Hermione," James couldn't help a sympathetic smile for her, "but it certainly gets to her."

"Notes for the future," Harry said simply.

**Ron blanched in surprise at her quip, and quickly went back to the real version afterwards.**

"Least Hermione keeps him in place," Lily approved.

**March came with drier weather, but cruel winds skinned their hands and faces every time they went out onto the grounds.**

"I miss Quidditch," James sighed.

**Owl post was getting delayed slightly by the buffeting winds, but Sirius' brown owl still managed to make a landing the Friday before Hogsmeade. It took off the moment Harry untied the note, clearly not up for making a return trip.**

Harry was the only one who gave a laugh, the others were to on edge for the reply. Sirius' last note had not been promising.

**This letter was almost as short as the previous one, simply requesting Harry meet him at an old stile in the back of Hogsmeade at two tomorrow, and to bring food.**

They all sat there in a bit of dumbfounded silence for a moment.

Lily cracked first, saying with the most sincerity than she ever had in her life, "I am going to strangle you."

"Bring food?" James demanded, his voice cracking on the last word so that he couldn't have continued if he'd wanted to. James felt like an idiot, he'd made the joke himself that Sirius would probably have to steal a cake, but how much was he eating on the run?

Sirius had a torn look on his face, somewhere between he wanted to laugh them all off for thinking he was in danger like his usual idiotic self, and the rest was curiosity. He somehow managed to ask as if for the weather, "wonder what I'm up to."

"Would you please, for just a moment, pretend like this is dangerous," Remus sighed.

Sirius clucked his tongue at him in agitation, stating, "Never stopped me before. I'm just curious what I finally couldn't put in a letter, or maybe I'm just sick of owl post and want to see my Godson."

The baby in Lily's lap had been growing increasingly fussy, so Lily excused herself to put him down for a nap while still muttering about murder.

James fidgeted with the pages until she got back, honestly debating holding him down for her the whole time, but in the end he reminded himself it wouldn't be fair to murder Sirius just for mouthing off in here. In fact James was almost getting his wish, at least Harry and Sirius having a conversation face to face should be some modicum of fun, his best friend was probably right and just wanted to check in on Harry and no one should be looking for him in Hogsmeade, this should turn out fine.

**Harry and Hermione were incredulous he'd really come back, but Ron brushed them off and said he'd been away from dementors this long, he obviously knew what he was doing.**

"Thank you Ron," Sirius said a little extra loudly, still with an insufferably cocky look in place that no one was going to catch him.

**As Harry tucked away his letter, he was surprised that he honestly felt better with the idea of seeing Sirius again.**

"Ha!" Sirius barked in triumph, while Harry was in such a good mood with the most recent task finally being over he couldn't do anything but roll his eyes back.

**So he headed down to his Potions class in a much better mood than normal.**

**Of course that was ruined the moment he saw the standard group of Slytherins all standing in a group, snickering over something.**

"Well this never start's well," Lily grumbled, clearly the only one clinging to her unease over Sirius. She was equally annoyed at her boys trying to brush this off as a spot of fun, and just as unwilling to argue it otherwise. She relinquished Sirius had been out long enough it wasn't one hundred percent suicidal to come back, more like seventy five.

**Pansy caught sight of them first, gesturing wildly at them to get the others attention.**

"I'm with Lily," Remus groaned, "prepare to be annoyed just by that."

**Harry saw a magazine in her hands, Witch Weekly.**

"Guess that's better than the Daily Prophet," Sirius narrowed his eyes shrewdly.

"Not by much," James grumbled.

**Then Pansy gave the paper a toss to Hermione, telling her she should have a good read of it. At that moment Snape opened the door, and they all had to file in.**

"Of course this had to happen inside there," Sirius snapped, "at least when this stuff comes up in Care of Creatures you know Hagrid'll back you up."

"I'm sure they planned it this way just for that," Lily sniffed.

**The three friends set up their cauldrons in the back of the room like always, but instead of pulling out their ingredients they all leaned over Hermione's magazine as she riffled through it.**

**The piece wasn't hard to find, another photo of Harry was spotted over the title Harry Potter's Secret Heartache. The article starts by reminding everyone that Harry had grown up without love while being deprived of his parents,**

Lily and James flushed in hatred already for this, did that have to keep coming up!

**was at least equaled out with the love he'd seemed to find in his school life was Hermione Granger.**

"Didn't this already come up?" Sirius scoffed, "Skeeter must be running out of material if she's rehashing your love life."

"Let's hope she just runs out altogether soon," Harry sighed.

**Sadly for Harry, he may not even be aware of his own suffering. Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl,**

"She needs to keep her own story straight," Remus reminded, "she keeps changing her own description of just how pretty she thinks Hermione is."

"We've well established her facts change to fit her story," Lily huffed.

**had recently been seen in more company of Viktor Krum. Clearly the girl had a love of famed Quidditch players, though it was clear neither boy knew of the other. Krum himself had been heard saying he'd never felt this way about another girl, even inviting her to his country over the summer.**

**The real crux was, it most likely wasn't Miss Granger's charm the cause of this.**

**Skeeter had interviewed a few students to get the real story, and Pansy Parkinson had happily stepped up in the story to report how intelligent Hermione was, it was more than possible Hermione was using Love Potions on these boys.**

**Love Potions were banned at Hogwarts of course, and this reporter only hoped the matter would be looked into soon before someone's heart was broken forever.**

"That's all there is," James finished with a disappointed shake in his head, "thankfully. I'm relieved, I was fixing to start laughing at how ridiculous that was."

"I can still see why Skeeter tried to go that way for Hermione, "Lily shook her head furiously, "that really would be traumatizing for some girls to have that printed about them."

"Hopefully Hermione'll take this as she did the other one," Remus said.

**Ron was furious for Hermione, even as he couldn't stop an I told you so for her. Skeeter had gone and printed this about Hermione, turning her into a scarlet woman.**

"Well he's not wrong," Lily couldn't resist a smile for Ron.

**Hermione stopped looking down at the paper and began to laugh at Ron's choice of words, now shaking with giggles.**

"I'm sure that's the exact reaction Skeeter was hoping Hermione would have," James beamed with pride.

"Laughing in the face of it all," Sirius agreed at once, "best way to face life."

"You're still not off the hook mister," Lily told him at once. "If you get yourself caught and killed for being an idiot, I'm going to kill you."

"And just what's it to you?" Sirius demanded with an impetuous smirk, clearly all at ease with digging his own grave.

"It means a great deal to me," Remus sniffed back, his mind scrambling to play this off and blast away the worry really eating at them. "As I take great comfort in knowing it'll be my hand that'll be the death of you one day."

Sirius most likely would have kept going, for some deranged reason he seemed to feel the way to make them feel better was throwing out more jokes at this, but James was in no way amused and kept reading loudly around them.

**Ron said that's what his mum called them.**

**Hermione was not impressed, saying if that was the best Skeeter could do, she'd lost her touch.**

"As if she ever had one," Lily scoffed, "so far all of her stories have been nothing but dribble."

**The Slytherins were watching her expectantly for a reaction, but Hermione simply waved pleasantly at them.**

"Never let it be said Hermione doesn't know how to play a situation," James smiled happily at the girl.

**The three finally began on their potion for today, a Wit-Sharpening Potion.**

**Only a few minutes in though, Hermione began how odd it was**

"That Snape's never used that Wit-Sharpening Potion on himself," Remus offered with wide eyed innocence.

**about Skeeter knowing...**

**When she trailed off, Ron quickly yelped in surprise if she had been making Love Potions?**

"That was his first thought?" James snorted.

"Not that I believe she'd do it," Lily shrugged, "but I'd be the last person to be surprised that she could. Ron would know the same thing."

**Hermione snapped at him for being stupid, no what she was surprised was how Skeeter knew about Krum inviting her to Bulgaria.**

"I thought that was just more made up stuff," Sirius said in surprise.

**She was blushing in embarrassment by the end of admitting to this.**

**Ron dropped his pestle in shock as he looked at her.**

**Hermione tried to ignore this and quickly got the whole thing out, telling out he'd asked her just after he'd pulled her out of the lake.**

**Ron demanded what her answer was, now trying to grind up his desk more than his ingredients.**

All four of them were snickering now, though at least trying to hide it at Harry's bewildered stare. He wasn't sure if they were laughing at Ron or something else altogether like he was thinking, but did not want to discuss it.

**Hermione tried to ignore him, unsuccessfully by going all the more red, as she agreed he'd been quoted saying he'd never felt this way about another girl.**

"I cannot believe she's actually admitting this to them," Remus shook his head.

"This is why Hermione needs some friends who are girls," Lily sighed for the poor thing. She knew full well how that could feel.

**That didn't explain how Skeeter knew this, she hadn't been around when Krum had said that, no one had. Perhaps she'd had an Invisibility Cloak on and was sneaking around?**

"Would not put it past her," James grumbled.

**Ron repeatedly demanded what her answer to Krum had been, knocking the desk so hard with his pestle he put a dent in it.**

"I'm thinking Ron wants an answer to that," Sirius raised a brow.

"What on earth gave you that idea," James kept trying to repress giggles while continuing.

**Hermione began to admit that she hadn't a chance to answer before Harry appeared- but was cut off by Snape saying from behind them that he was docking ten points from Gryffindor for discussing their business in his class.**

Amusement instantly gone and snatched away because of that insect, no one had the heat to snap at him this time, it went without saying at this point.

**The whole class turned as Snape hovered over the three of them, Harry getting another wave of POTTER STINKS badges from Malfoy.**

"Might as well glue that to his arse, or his forehead, same thing at this point," Sirius huffed.

**Snape caught sight of the magazine, docking another ten points for having this in class, then finding the article and even reading the title out loud.**

Lily was gnashing her teeth furiously to hold back the abundance of things she'd like to throw in his face for all the petty comments. It was sick how he was living his dream come true, being able to humiliate her son at every opportunity, when most likely he was really looking down on James in all these moments.

**The dungeon rang with the Slytherins' laughter, and an unpleasant smile curled Snape's thin mouth. Going one step further, Snape then began to read the article aloud.**

"I-He!" Remus spluttered, sure he must have heard that one wrong.

"There's logic for you," James lip curled, "he took their points away for reading it, and then reads it. Remind me again why I never got around to blowing this one to Norway?"

"Don't ask me mate," Sirius was glaring at nothing and not even pretending it was a joke, "I suggested at least once a week we hog tie him and leave him to the Forest, but no one would let me do it."

"Next time you get the opportunity," Remus told him sincerely, "I'll run interference while you get the rope."

They snarked on long enough at the injustice of this, but James forced himself to reread that bilge through Snape.

**The whole thing came across ten times worse in Snape's cruel tones.**

**When he was done, Snape came to the conclusion it was time to split these three up to keep them on their work. He made Ron stay where he was, moved Hermione to sit by Pansy,**

"Please tell me Hermione's brilliant enough to make that blow up without her noticing," Lily pleaded of nothing.

**and put Harry in the table in front of his desk.**

"I'll pause for the miracle he didn't put him beside Malfoy," James groaned, an honest toss up of which would have been worse, Harry next to him or continued interaction with Snape!

**Harry furiously obeyed, dragging his cauldron to the front and slamming into his new seat to continue his potion.**

**Snape retook his seat but Harry refused to look up at him, determined not to give Snape the satisfaction of seeing how angry he was as he began smashing his own scarab beetles, imagining each one as Snape's face.**

"You know what, I like Harry's idea better," Sirius nodded along. "It'd be much more personal and fun to turn him into a potion ingredient."

"Won't deny loving the irony of that," James agreed.

**Snape began whispering for Harry's ears alone how all of this press attention was inflating his already large head.**

**Harry denied response, he knew Snape was trying to provoke him, he'd done so before.**

"When did Snape provoke you before?" Lily cast her mind back. "He seems much more fond of humiliating the life out of you and then docking points."

"When he found out I had the Map," Harry reminded, "tried to get me into admitting I'd been visiting Hogsmeade."

"Oh yeah," she rolled her eyes at that resurfacing memory of him taking potshots at James. The incident with Remus afterwards had burned that away a bit.

**No doubt Snape was hoping to take a whole fifty points from Gryffindor before class was up.**

"The day is just wasted if you haven't," Sirius scowled.

**Snape persisted in saying that Harry may be delusional enough to think the whole world was in love with him, ignoring the fact that Harry had long since turned his beetles into a fine powder, but Snape knew better. He didn't care how many times Harry was in the papers,**

"Really?" Harry mock outraged with as much sarcasm as he could muster. "Because I've been putting in so much hard work to garner his approval!"

"It's too bad you can't say things like that to him without risking detention," Remus sighed.

"The detention would be worth it," Sirius huffed.

**Potter would always be a nasty little boy who gave no consideration to the rules.**

**Harry finally gave his powder to his potion and turned on his roots instead, his hand shaking so bad the cuts weren't nearly as precise as they should be. Still he refused to respond and give Snape the satisfaction.**

"I'm glad you're taking Hermione's path at least," Lily sighed, "he'll get less satisfaction if you act like he's not getting to you."

"Much more self-satisfying to get him back later, when he's lesser expecting it," James mock agreed with his wife, though she wasn't going to argue with him.

**Snape promised this warning, if he ever caught Harry breaking into his office one more time-**

"He's never broken into your office period," Remus said like speaking to an idiotic child.

"Technically," Sirius added on with a faint smile, "and Snape can't prove otherwise."

"That was two years ago though," James cocked his head to the side, "or is he really blaming Harry for, well whatever that mess with Crouch was."

"He blames everything on me," Harry reminded.

"I'm sure he's tried to get you expelled for every instance that went on at school, and at some point Dumbledore just stopped opening the door for him," James said wistfully, thinking about slamming a door in his face as well, or more on his face.

**Harry snapped at that, saying he'd never been in Snape's office.**

**Snape's black eyes glowed with hatred as he hissed back all of his missing supplies, the Boomslang skin and Gillyweed, all from his private cupboards.**

"Wait, now I'm confused," Lily made a rewind motion. "Dobby took the Gillyweed, but what's this about the Boomslang skin? Again, that happened years ago, I'm blasted he's really connecting the events."

"Again," Remus pointed out, "he clearly blames Harry for everything that goes wrong in his life, and I'm not really surprised if he's been in waiting to throw this at him since he found out."

"But it is rather odd," James had his head cocked to the side, "he's talking like this happened when Crouch was in his office, but he can't have stolen either of those, it doesn't add up."

"With what?" Sirius demanded of him. "We never even found out why he was there in the first place."

"What are the odds Crouch happened to steal the exact ingredient Harry had need of, and something he also stole two years ago," Lily said back.

Sirius had no reply, none of them did. This was such an inane mystery no one even had a clue how to begin to puzzle it out.

**Harry stared back with a blank face, refusing to acknowledge this. It was in fact Hermione and Dobby who Snape should really be looking to, but Harry wasn't going to be saying that. Instead he lied, stating he had no clue about anything.**

**Snape hissed back he knew Harry was out of bed that night his office had been ransacked.**

"While he's technically not wrong about that," Remus rolled his eyes.

"He still has no proof it was Harry," Sirius finished for him. "There are three other champions that egg could have belonged to, but of course he's still convinced, without proof, it was Harry."

Lily wanted to scold him this time it was good enough evidence, the map and the egg together wouldn't leave an idiot stumped, but that wasn't Sirius' point and she knew it.

**Snape had no clue why Moody had joined Potter's fan club,**

"Oh, do we finally have proof that exists," James asked mildly. "What did Colin and Ginny name it anyways?"

"Potter Doesn't Really Stink," Sirius offered to Harry's trying to ignore them both, about as successfully as he'd been ignoring Snape.

**but even he couldn't save Harry from Snape when he caught him.**

"About as thoroughly as he has in the past," Remus stated with a winning smile, making them all give a hearty laugh in appreciation for that; because Harry hadn't ever technically been in trouble for any of this.

**Harry mildly agreed he'd keep that in mind if ever he had a wish to go for Snape's office.**

"You just know it's on his top ten list," Sirius nodded along.

"Right up there with going back into the Forest, going to another Death Day party, and going back to the Chamber," Remus agreed.

**Snape's eyes flashed, his hand tucked inside his robes, and for an actual moment Harry was sure Snape was about to curse him.**

"I'll skin him alive," Lily said dangerously, wishing now more than ever she could leave these walls for the simple use of acting on that.

**Instead he pulled out a clear bottle that looked like it held water. Snape asked if Harry knew what this was.**

**This time, completely honestly, Harry said no.**

"Not that it's ever stopped you before," James said.

**Snape explained it was Veritaserum, a Truth Potion so powerful just three drops and Harry would spill every secret he'd ever had.**

"And illegal to use on the unwitting," Lily hissed.

Harry ruffled his brows at her, casting his mind back to a not at all pleasant conversation where he'd try to offer ideas to prove Sirius' innocence. This potion had come up, and he asked, "If you can't use it on people on trial because they're expecting it, and you can't use it on someone who isn't expecting it, what's it used for?"

"Nothing," Lily deflated a bit at talking to her son, though venom was still clear in her tone even not directed at him. "It's basically illegal to even own any amount unless you have specific license to study under a few fields. Snape would be allowed to have some I suppose, being a potion's teacher and all, but that doesn't give him the right to use it on anyone!" She finished, trying to force herself not to shout there at the end.

"Dumbledore wouldn't let him use it," Remus offered without any real hope.

"Dumbledore should be stopping a lot of things that keep happening," Sirius snapped back bitterly.

**Snape conceded there were many restrictions placed on the use of this potion, but one day Snape's hand may just slip over Potter's evening drink.**

"And ironically," Lily put her hands up in exasperation, "Snape still wouldn't get his end results."

"Though a few worse things would come out than breaking into a teacher's office," James muttered, keeping a careful eye on his best friend.

**Harry turned away with false indifference, ignoring how uncomfortable that potion made him feel. Snape may not get the confession he'd be wanting, but Harry knew how much trouble not only his friends would be in, but also far worse things could happen. Like his admission to being in contact with Sirius, and his crush on Cho.**

Sirius couldn't help it, he broke all tension in the room by snorting with laughter, and not stopping there by doubling over and still holding his sides with amusement.

Harry was bright scarlet already, trying in vain to get James to keep going who was paying him no attention, clearly just as amused as Padfoot that Harry's embarrassment over that crush ranked right up there with the fear of his Godfather getting caught. Good to know where Harry's priorities were at least.

It took Sirius quite some time to settle back down, rubbing happily at his chest and ignoring the exasperated looks of the others at such an overreaction. "Thanks pup, I needed that."

"You are not welcome," Harry grumbled back.

**He put his roots into his potion and began stirring, his mind on Moody's idea to start drinking out of his own hip flask for a while.**

"While I wouldn't blame you if you did," Remus shook his head with amusement, "I more recommend just asking the house-elves to special make you meals. Gives you a much less paranoid vibe."

"I'll keep that in mind," Harry did manage a smile for him.

**A knock on the door stopped either from saying anything else as Snape called for entrance in a more normal voice.**

"So, dark and creepy," James nodded along.

**Karkaroff came in.**

"Well, well," Sirius raised a brow. "Evil plotting in front of the kiddies now? Poor form on their part."

"I will strangle you," Lily promised, still unable to grasp how he could make light of Death Eaters around Harry.

"What?" Sirius defend himself at once. "They're not actually going to do anything to Harry in that classroom, but Harry might pick up on something else they could be up to."

Remus wanted to remind him they most likely had already done something to Harry, they were there number one suspects on who'd entered Harry into this tournament, but he wasn't going to argue with Sirius now and begged Lily not to bother while James ignored them all.

**Everyone watched as he came up to Snape's desk, clearly trying to be as quiet as possible as he whispered they needed to talk.**

"Then he should have done this after the fact," James rolled his eyes, "in Snape's oh so important office."

"Be happy intelligence is failing them," Sirius waved him off.

**Harry still pretended he wasn't listening as he kept at his ingredients, but still clearly heard Snape's hissing response to deal with this after class.**

**Karkaroff refused, saying he was tired of Snape slipping away and avoiding him.**

"I would too," Remus quipped, but was watching the book curiously now, all of them wondering what they could be squabbling about.

**Snape repeated they would talk after the lesson.**

**While Harry raised his measuring cup full of armadillo bile up to the light to check the correct measurement,**

"Subtleness you were excelling at I'm sure," Remus smirked.

"You ever wonder how they get some of these ingredients?" Sirius muttered to Harry.

"Detention from Snape I'm sure," Harry said back, thinking it would be just that kind of punishment for Snape to make armadillos appear just to have them vomiting their bile for the students to collect.

**Harry peaked at the pair. Karkaroff looked worried, Snape angry.**

**Karkaroff stayed hovering over Snape's desk for the rest of class, and determined to know what they were talking about, Harry knocked over the rest of his armadillo bile with a minute to go before class let out and quickly bent down to mop it up while the rest of the class fled the room.**

"That was brilliant," James praised.

"Absolute credit for sneakiness with an excuse," Sirius agreed.

**Snape demanded what Karkaroff thought was so urgent? Karkaroff declared this!**

**Harry peeked around his cauldron to see Karkaroff had pulled up his left sleeve to show Snape something Harry couldn't see.**

Remus cocked his head to the side with a calculating look in place. "Wasn't that same arm Snape grabbed when Moody made a crack at him about marks?"

"You think him and Karkaroff got matching tattoos?" Sirius asked in disbelief.

"I think it's strange something's clearly bothering both of these Death Eater's," Lily agreed mildly even if she did think the arm thing was a slim attachment.

Of course, they all knew something was stirring, Voldemort was trying to make a return and even if Harry hadn't been having any more dreams about it, and thank Merlin for that and it not happening any time soon, it was still the most unsettling thing to happen thus far. Could these two be talking about that? It really was hard to come up with anything else this could be about, but what would something on their arms be about?

**Karkaroff insisted it was clearer than ever, it hadn't been like this since-**

**Snape snapped at him to put that away, turning a nastier face on Harry and demanding to know what he was still doing in here?**

**Harry showed his sodden rag he was cleaning with,**

"I'm so sure he appreciates your cleanliness," James scowled, his mind still flagging in frustration he couldn't put this together. This could be something really important, and they were all clearly missing something.

**but Snape snapped at him to get lost. Harry quickly vacated the room to tell Ron and Hermione what he'd seen.**

"Which was what exactly?" Lily groaned in frustration.

**Next day they left for Hogsmeade, the weather finally slowing enough that it was actually a beautiful day.**

This wasn't making anyone's mood feel any better. Despite the Snape distraction, no one could get over how worrisome it felt to have Sirius back in the picture like this. Danger kept screaming at every corner of their mind, and yet at the same time none of them would selfishly admit it would be good just to hear about him again not on the run or as a convict. Just Padfoot trying to spend some time with Harry for a day.

**The food Sirius had asked for was tucked in Harry's bag, a dozen chicken legs, a loaf of bread, and a jug of pumpkin juice.**

Sirius still fidgeted uneasily a bit at such an odd request from himself, he wasn't liking where this was headed right off the bat.

**First they headed for a shop to get Dobby those promised socks, enjoying themselves by picking out the most outlandish ones they could find, including ones that screamed at you if you didn't wash them regularly enough.**

"Not a bad start," James nodded along, "but you've got about three hundred more pairs to go to get to that every day of the year promise."

"I decided I'd build up to it," Harry grinned, "I need to get him future gifts after all, no sense in doing it all at once." He finished with an almost vacant look at the end, his innards squirming a warning he'd better get Dobby those socks while he had a chance.

"That's cheating," Sirius wagged his finger at the half finished return to keep Harry's attention, but agreed with a smile, "I'm so proud."

**As the time came, they made their way to the stile. Harry had never been this far into Hogsmeade before,**

All three boys made choking noises of disbelief at that declaration, it still blew their mind Harry didn't know the grounds of that place like they did.

**and the place looked far more deserted with a long winding road and being right at the base of a mountain.**

**A small gate closed off the borders of the village, and leaning on said gate with large paws and a shaggy coat was a familiar dog.**

**Harry happily greeted Sirius.**

Lily was shaking her head fondly, like she'd still been futilely hoping this whole time Sirius wouldn't be stupid enough to come, and even more pleased he had.

Harry couldn't help but compare that lean, wild looking animal to the happy pooch he'd seen in this living room days ago, trying to comfort him in his fear of what would happen to Sirius. The contrast between the same dog was as vivid as the cocky, self-assured Godfather sitting at his side, ready to joke his way to the end, and the gaunt faced criminal Harry only had memory of seeing smile once.

**The black dog sniffed Harry's bag eagerly, wagged its tail once, then turned and began to trot away from them across the scrubby patch of ground that rose to meet the rocky foot of the mountain.**

"Wait a minute," Remus said slowly, "you're not really..." he trailed off in disbelief as he kept watching Sirius.

"Don't know how regularly," Sirius shrugged, "but I'm even more pleased if so. It'll be much more fun to talk to Harry rather than just following him around."

"I don't understand," Lily was frowning, looking from Sirius to his two friends suspiciously.

"That mountain's got all sorts of caves and hiding spots," James told her and Harry. "We explored them all the time, even kept a stash of stuff up there when we didn't want to get caught with it. When we found Sirius wasn't staying in the Shack, I honestly thought this was where he was spending his time last year."

Lily gnawed on her lip a bit, but decided this was actually fairly out of the way of the school, and if the Marauders said they'd explored this place than that meant they knew it better than the surrounding villagers. Plus, if Dumbledore even knew Sirius was staying there, and warned people to stay away from the area, well this was honestly looking like almost a good idea. Then she realized what she was thinking, and chose not to say anything aloud, still not wanting to give that idiot the impression she approved of him being in the country at all.

**The three followed him up the steep path, having to climb over boulders and struggling to keep up with the more assured four legged one, as they sweated under the sun and the straps of Harry's bag cut into his shoulders.**

"If I'd known there'd be a hike, I'd have left the jug behind," Harry winced and rubbed at his shoulders in remembrance.

"I honestly forget what it's like to try on two legs," Sirius answered honestly, and with a bit of pity. "We didn't really go all through these places until we changed."

**Finally the dog vanished into a crevice, and the three wiggled inside to see a spacious cave with Buckbeak tied to a corner.**

"So you did actually keep him," Remus chuckled. "I never again want to hear you mock me for bringing home strays."

"Not happening Moony," Sirius shot back at once. "This beast saved my life, the least I can do is keep him around. You dragging in all manner of destruction into our flat with your creature of the month have yet to do the same."

Remus opened his mouth, to argue the point or give another sarcastic response James didn't want to listen to for once, he was too anxious to hear how Sirius was doing in person. That food comment was still lingering badly at the edge of his mind.

**All three bowed to the hippogriff, who obliged back, and while Hermione rushed forward to pat him in greeting, Harry turned eyes on his godfather. Sirius was wearing the same ragged garb he'd had on the night he escaped Azkaban,**

They all winced, that wasn't a great start, though no real surprise as it probably would have been a chore at best to steal anything better. Most likely if he wasn't on Buckbeak he was Padfoot, so it wasn't even the largest of deals in the grand scheme, but even something as little as this struck deep.

**his hair was a long tangle mess again, and he looked extremely thin.**

Lily made a noise she knew she wouldn't deny even if she'd been called out on. All her blustering and scolding aside, she was as distraught as the boys at the idea of what Sirius had really been living through.

James and Remus looked like they'd swallowed a lemon at the idea, not even being subtle as they kept a steady eye on their Sirius, here and now looking grumpy but still his usual self. He didn't even seem to realize he kept running his hand through his hair, as if to keep himself in check this wasn't some nasty new form of a mirror being put on him.

**He was sitting on the ground, spitting a few newspapers out of his mouth he'd been carrying this whole time, and turned to Harry asking about the chicken he smelled.**

'Missed you to Sirius,' Harry thought to himself, not looking to meet anyone's eyes. He still felt responsible for Sirius being in these conditions, and the fact that his Godfathers first request had been for food rather than an actual greeting spoke every level of how horrible it had been.

**Harry handed over the bag, and Sirius began digging in at once, while thanking for the food, admitting he'd actually been living on rats.**

James hardly got that out before revulsion hit and his throat retched.

"There's some kind of irony in that I'm sure," Sirius said with pure viciousness in his voice as he took in all the disgusted faces around him.

"Sirius-" Remus began weakly, but Sirius cut him off snappishly.

"What? You lot going to sit around and tell me how sorry you are for me? Like that's going to help? Let it go will you, it's my decision."

While true, this didn't make what they were hearing any better, so still fighting down the impulse to run to the kitchen and get Sirius a snack while he had to listen to this, James forced himself to keep going.

**He admitted he couldn't be stealing too much food from Hogsmeade, he didn't want to draw attention to himself.**

Lily kept a watchful eye on him, waiting for him to start up his bragging that of course he was smart enough to think ahead like this, clearly waiting for someone to mock him to the contrary, but when no one did he instead intensified his glare at all of them so that he actually looked pretty scary. It was clear he was growing sick of their trying to baby him, but none of them were going to be able to shake it off any time soon.

**He gave Harry a grin, who only reluctantly returned it.**

**Harry demanded why Sirius was even here, and Sirius said back he was doing his job as godfather, while gnawing on the chicken bone in a very doglike way.**

"Least some things don't change," James shook his head fondly, Sirius had done that long before he'd been an animagus, though he'd admitted he'd donned the habit more in protest of his mother's precious table manners than anything.

Sirius looked pleased enough at the comment, at least his best friend wasn't all doom and gloom.

**Sirius told Harry not to worry about it, everyone around here found him a lovable stray. He kept grinning, but when the anxiety didn't leave Harry's face, he kept going seriously**

Sirius released a bark of triumphant laughter, clearly never growing tired of when Harry did this the most, before turning to his pup and stating, "no need for the clarification, I say everything Seriously."

"You're right Prongs," Remus groaned, "but sometimes I wish that joke would change."

"Not happening," Sirius stated proudly.

**that Harry's last letter had left him uneasy. The papers weren't helping anything, clearly something was getting fishy around here.**

**He nodded at the yellowing newspapers, which Ron went to investigate.**

**Harry kept watching Sirius, asking what would happen if someone spotted him.**

**Sirius waved that off, saying the three of them and Dumbledore were the only ones who knew he was here and that he was an Animagus, still tearing off large pieces of chicken between every word.**

**Ron got Harry's attention by showing him the headlines, one of which covered the mystery of Crouch's disease,**

"One of the symptoms being night time wanderings," Sirius rolled his eyes, still finding this much more fun to think about than himself.

**and the other still over the missing Ministry Employee, and that the Minister himself was now looking into it.**

"I'm honestly impressed," Lily arched a brow. "Why's she getting so much attention? People have gone missing before."

"Most likely, after ah, this time," Remus wasn't quite sure how to phrase that and since they got the gist he quickly moved past, "I'm sure if it did happen, at least someone could offer up some sort of explanation. As far as we know, she's gone without a single trace. That is media worthy."

"I'd almost rather not have the answer to this one," Sirius shivered for the poor thing.

**Harry read the Crouch one first, looking up when he was done about how they made it seem like he was dying.**

**Ron told Sirius about how Percy was Crouch's underlying, and he just wrote it all off as being overworked.**

**Harry disagreed, saying how bad he'd looked that night of the Goblet.**

**Hermione just said it was his own comeuppance for how he'd treated Winky.**

"I'm thinking this might be a bit more than that," James shook his head fondly

"Hermione'll just take any excuse to change the subject to house-elves," Sirius snorted.

**Saying how she was sure he was regretting his harsh actions now.**

**Ron informed Sirius about Hermione's house-elf obsession, but rather than exasperated like Ron, Sirius looked intrigued as he asked about Crouch sacking his elf.**

"That would be news to me," Sirius agreed, he still found the instance odd, and he'd already heard about it.

**Harry recounted the whole Dark Mark event for him.**

**Sirius pulled yet more chicken out as he made sure he got the whole thing cleared up, clearly being the most interested in Crouch not even appearing at the event of the Cup.**

**Harry agreed he'd stated he was too busy to come at the time.**

**Sirius got to his feet as he sucked on the marrow, muttering to himself for a moment before asking Harry if he'd checked his pockets for his wand before he'd left the Top Box?**

"Why would you ask?" Remus asked slowly.

"Not really sure," Sirius was frowning at nothing as he tried to guess at his own train of thought...no matter how odd that was.

**Harry thought back and admitted he hadn't checked until he'd needed it later, then asking of Sirius if he really thought the caster of the Mark had been in the Top Box?**

"Even Sirius wouldn't make such a suicidal leap," Lily dissed the idea.

"If the Malfoy's hadn't been confirmed in with the other Death Eaters, I might argue the point," Remus said fairly.

"But there's no one else up there who could have done it," James agreed.

"Unless Winky stole it for someone," Sirius offered, his brow still ruffled as he tried to put it together.

James scoffed at the idea, saying, "Unless Crouch told her to, I don't buy that. She was clearly all loyal to him, that sounds like a Dobby stunt."

Sirius ran out of ideas, it really didn't make much sense, but something had happened in between it being in Harry's possession and it casting the Mark, they just had not a single clue of what. Harry wasn't helping anyone, arms crossed in a huffy manner as he was well aware the answer was somewhere in Sirius' line of thinking.

**Sirius agreed there was a good chance, and Hermione at once snapped it hadn't been Winky!**

**Sirius agreed she hadn't been the only one up there, asking for a list of everyone.**

**When Harry recounted the Malfoy's name, Ron suddenly got the idea that it could have been Lucius all along.**

**Sirius didn't seem to think so, as he asked for anyone else present.**

"Well you clearly don't think much of the idea," Remus pointed out.

"Which is a bit off from you," Lily shook her head.

"If Harry explained the whole thing, including Draco telling of his parents being in the Death Eater crowd," Sirius shrugged them off.

"They still seem the most likely," James sighed, then his eyes brightened with understanding, but not pleasure as he offered, "what if it was a handoff. Who wants to put money Karkaroff could have been at that game, supporting his number one student."

They all swallowed that for a moment, but Harry shook his head first, saying very slowly so as not to agitate himself, "I don't think, I mean, I like to think I'd have recognized the voice, and I still haven't heard it since that night."

It was thin, someone shouting a curse could still manage to sound different enough from just casual speaking, but if Harry was disagreeing with an idea, it was best not to argue the point.

**When Harry finished, Hermione also pointed out Bagman in the end.**

**Sirius kept up his pacing and stated all he knew of him was that he was an old Beater.**

The four of them felt themselves sink just that little bit lower, again. First the dragons, now this, had Azkaban taken everything away from Sirius? Something of his old Quidditch love and idol of a player should have sparked a life in him at the mention of that name, not just _that._

**Sirius asked if they'd had any more contact with him, and Harry admitted Bagman had been trying to help Harry out with the Tournament, said he'd taken a liking to Harry.**

**Hermione pointed out they'd seen him just before the Mark was cast and he disapparated, but Ron said it was ludicrous to think Bagman had done this.**

"I can't really buy that," Lily shook her head. "He's been a bit of an idiot, one too many bludgers honestly, but I don't think he's Death Eater material."

Something buzzed in the back of Harry's skull, and for some odd reason his mind flickered to Skeeter, and something she'd said about Bagman...

**Hermione stubbornly said back she thought Bagman was still more likely than Winky.**

"That I'll give her," James snorted.

**Ron looking imploringly at Sirius as he repeated Hermione's obsession with elves.**

**Sirius though waved Ron silent.**

"I'm impressed he listened," Remus couldn't help a little smirk at Sirius. "Looks like you've gotten marginally more menacing to stop someone."

"Wish it would work on you," Sirius grumbled at him.

**Sirius instead turned back to Harry and asked what Crouch had done after his elf had been discovered under it.**

**Harry told how he'd gone through the bushes looking for someone else, and found no one.**

Harry still felt like someone had snapped a rubber band on his nose, something in there was a lie, but all he got for it was rubbing in agitation at his temple and ignoring the moment.

**Sirius agreed that was in line, Crouch would want to pin this on anyone else but his elf.**

**Hermione instantly agreed, saying he'd been wrong to sack his elf just for running from that stampeding crowd.**

**Ron snapped at her to give those elves a rest!**

"I can see Ron's point," James said around twitching lips, "I'm sure he's heard this a million times by now, and Sirius has much more important things to be asking than house-elves."

**Sirius seemed to be on Hermione's side though, telling Ron that she had a better idea of how Crouch was than Ron. If you wanted to know what a man was like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.**

Lily couldn't stop a violent, and rather vindictive, snort as she looked disbelievingly at him for that one. "You did not just say that with a straight face? After the way you've gone on about elves, I thought you'd be cheering Ron on."

Sirius had a little sneer in place for her benefit as he corrected, "I hate my elf, with good reason. That doesn't mean I'm not going to think less of someone doing the same to theirs if it hasn't done anything wrong. That's sound advice woman, you should be thanking me for bestowing that on your son."

Lily raked her hand through her hair instead of slapping Sirius for the pompous attitude, she found him being a hypocrite more in that moment than wise like he clearly thought himself, but truth be told he wasn't wrong either. Sirius had every right to hate his elf in particular at least, but from what she'd gathered he'd clearly treated the ones at Hogwarts with at least as much respect as the rest of the staff, if not more for the free food, which was saying something.

**He ran a hand over his unshaven face, evidently thinking hard.**

Sirius waited impatiently for a sarcastic comment from anybody asking how hard that was, a witty retort already in place, and was all the more frustrated when it didn't come. Couldn't these guys chill for just one second? They had no problems taking the mickey out of him in here, but clearly none of them were going to be mocking his future self...which still hurt his brain to think about so he let it go.

**He was still stuck on the idea of Crouch, saying all of these absences of his from events he'd had such a huge hand in putting together wasn't like him at all. If he'd ever missed a day of work because he was sick, Sirius would eat Buckbeak.**

"Best way you could have put that, past the lovely sentiment," Lily crinkled her nose at him.

**Harry was surprised that Sirius seemed to know Crouch personally.**

**Sirius' face darkened so much, that between the menacing scowl and the dark lighting, he looked truly like the murderer Harry had once believed him to be.**

Five faces lost every last drop of color at that sentiment, one question on all of their lips, what had Crouch done to Sirius? As of now, nothing, so what was that look for!

**He whispered for their benefit that he only knew Crouch as the man who'd put him in Azkaban without a trial.**

Sirius' mouth flopped open in shock, mingled disbelief and hatred suddenly burning away any trace of his joking bravado nature. It was now all too clear to Harry that was indeed an expression of one who could actually go and kill someone, and Sirius had just been given a motive.

"He what?" Lily hissed, the fire blazing in her green eyes matched only by her hair. "They couldn't really, there's no way they-"

"I'm going to kill him," James vowed on the spot. He didn't remember getting to his feet, but he was suddenly pacing all around the room, his wand tapping furiously on his hip and clearly hoping to use it on the first available target. He spat in the fire place as he passed it but that relived nothing, he could not get this out of his head!

Remus' lower lip was trembling, it was unclear whether he was fixing to cry or scream. Mostly he just looked diminished. He couldn't help his mind scattering to the first person that he would have called to for help with this, but Dumbledore had actually allowed this to happen! He was Supreme Mugwump, Crouch may have held the trial but he would have had to pass it by Dumbledore for the trial to be skipped, which had never been passed in their history! Even someone brought in as a confirmed and known Death Eater was granted a trail, but Sirius hadn't even be given that! What the bloody hell was the matter with this! It only marginally explained their earlier plights and complaints that Sirius shouldn't have been sent there at all, one moment in front of an actual person should have proven Sirius' innocence, now they all realized he' never even been allowed that chance!

While Harry knew he was just as angry as the rest of them, he tried to keep some perspective. While outraged on behalf of Sirius for this slight, Harry just knew there was something important about this conversation, something Sirius was going to tell him that would make all the difference to this year. He really didn't want to be the one to call attention to himself, any of them were likely to spring into deadly action at a moment's notice now, but it spoke volumes of Harry's time here when he cleared his throat and hardly winced at all eyes falling on him. "I am begging you guys to remember this hasn't technically happened yet," he gestured vaguely to his still fuming godfather. "Crouch'll never get the chance to do this to him," he promised with much more conviction than he felt.

No one looked appeased enough to move past this, James was still pacing manically around the room and looked as likely to kiss Snape as pretend this wasn't going to weigh on him whether it had technically happened yet or not. Sirius should never have been in Azkaban to begin with, that thought had never once left his mind since he'd heard about this, and yet somehow the level of bad got worse at this news. He didn't know how to go back to simply reading a book after this kind of news, he was entirely certain he couldn't get the words out anyways through his red vision.

The book had been left in James vacant seat, and Harry uneasily reached for it like it was the Monster Book of Monsters, ready to bite his hand the moment he touched the cover. No one made to stop him, though a few throats vibrated a warning growl that promised screaming would resume at a moment's notice. Harry's fingers fumbled across several pages, possibly earning a few paper cuts as he found his place, but that Gryffindor bravery, or thickness he was sure Ron would say, shone through as he forced himself to go on through this atmosphere.

**The three of them gasped in surprise, while Harry demanded to know if he was kidding, but Sirius simply said he wasn't while taking another bite of food.**

Harry paused hopefully, though in vain. He'd been hoping at least Sirius, who'd laughed off plenty of terrible things before, would at least make a crack he could discuss anything over food, but clearly it was not to be forthcoming.

**Crouch had been head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the time.**

"He won't be holding that position long when I get a hold of him," Lily snarled. She'd put up with his horrid ways for long enough because he'd been using them against Death Eaters, proven Death Eaters! This was, unprecedented!

**He'd even been tipped for the next Minister of Magic. Crouch was a powerful wizard,**

"Bet you nearly bit your tongue off getting that out," Remus sighed, his voice still coming out so quiet no one was really sure what he'd said and didn't ask for a repeat.

**and power hungry. He caught the look on Harry's face and quickly corrected he was no Voldemort supporter, Crouch was the opposite. Then again, a lot of people against the Dark, but he trailed himself off saying they were too young to understand.**

"Hurtful," Harry yelped at once.

Sirius gave him an even look, but finally that face was starting to wobble. It was clear he could have held it for hours yet if left to stew, but he'd never want Harry to really see him like this, so even if it didn't really work he tried to force something resembling his more normal self as he said, "well, hopefully I get over the delusion that you're fourteen. Obviously you're much older and I just need my eyes checked."

While it was clear he was going for a joke and apology all at the same time, Harry still grumbled mutinously for a bit, wondering if Sirius would reach the same conclusion in his own time.

**Ron said in protest that's what his dad had told him, why wouldn't Sirius give them a try?**

**A grin flashed across Sirius' thin face.**

"That's why you need to keep Ron around, it's good to know he can still get to me." Sirius sighed, losing the fight to keep himself tensed for a fight and instead slumping back in his seat, now just looking defeated. It was almost as bad as his anger, like he'd accepted this was his fate to come and he may as well enjoy himself in the meantime.

Everyone else refused to believe that, whatever self-punishment Sirius clearly still felt towards himself had not gone away no matter the farce he put up, but around a dry throat all James could do was what he'd always fall back on. Pick on his best friend. "Oh, now you agree with me, after the fact. Typical of you."

Sirius listlessly stuck his tongue out at him, the gesture more pouting than admitting a point like normal.

**He agreed he'd give them a try, pacing back and forth a few more times before beginning.**

Remus couldn't stop just the smallest of smiles gracing his features. James and Sirius were so alike sometimes, about things they didn't even realize. Only one instance being that they both tended to pace when they were upset or thinking hard, like the motion helped generate better ideas for them.

**He began by recounting how it had felt to the rest of the world for Voldemort to be all powerful, no one to trust and no one to turn to. People did terrible things and no one could stop them.**

"Don't have to think too hard to imagine that," Sirius muttered at Harry's side, going slightly cross eyed at himself saying this in past tense. It probably still felt like days ago to an after Azkaban Sirius, where time didn't mean much in that prison except endless torture.

**You were scared for yourself, your family, everyone you cared about. Every time you turned around there was more news of death, disappearances, and even torture. The Ministry was not keeping a handle on anything, and Muggles were dying left and right. There was nothing but panic in everyone.**

"You do a lovely painting, I thought James was the artist," Remus quipped at Sirius loudly enough to be heard this time.

Sirius gave him a pleased enough smile, he'd heard that hint of longing in Remus' voice for this to be a past rather than present. James didn't find it nearly as funny, giving him a light swat on his next pass through, but at least he'd tucked his wand away.

**Times like that brought out the best in some, and the worst in others.**

"Clearly some people shouldn't be in this at all," Lily said flatly.

**Crouch had been a rising star from the beginning, a voice for the Ministry that they weren't going to let this stand. He dealt out the harshest punishments on anyone slightly associated with Voldemort, granted powers to Aurors for people to be killed rather than captured. Sirius hadn't been the only one to get sent away without a trial.**

Harry couldn't get that out without stuttering a bit, knowing it was foolish to fear for his life from them but it still wasn't passing easily through their ears without inciting more violent outbursts; made all the worse at the realization Sirius wasn't the only one treated like this. Yet more innocent people had likely died in this place because of Crouch!

 **Crouch fought violence with violence, and authorized the use of** **the Unforgivable Curses against suspects.**

Lily blanched in horror. Talk of that was being passed along now, clearly it had gone through. She had been talking to her boys about this just last week, it was the root of all their snide comments about Crouch following whatever rules he saw fit.

**Crouch became as ruthless as those he was fighting. Most seemed to agree with his methods and were begging him to take the top spot. When Voldemort vanished, it seemed obvious Crouch would get just that.**

Remus opened his mouth to ask how on earth Sirius would know a thing like that, he'd been in prison by the time that came about, but not only did no one here know the answer, it would only be a sharp reminder in an already ugly room.

**Then it all changed when Crouch's own son was brought in with a group of Death Eaters.**

Harry got a zing tracing from the peak of his scar, marking all the way down to his toes. That was it, that was the bit of crucial information he was so sure he learned from Sirius. What on earth significant could that hold?

"Crouch has a son?" James asked in surprise, his steps finally faltering as his murderous thoughts were derailed and he was successfully pulled fully back into the story.

"I've never heard that," Lily said in shock. "I mean, sure I don't know the family members of everyone in my department, but I usually at least know who does and doesn't have kids. He's never mentioned it."

"Didn't you hear the rest of that?" Remus asked with disgust. "I can understand why if he's been hanging around Death Eaters, I wouldn't go parading that around in that sort of job."

Maybe before they'd have felt bad for Crouch, none of them could imagine what it would feel like for their own flesh and blood to turn to Voldemort's side, but now that they knew what Crouch would indubitably do, all they felt was more hatred for the guy. He was clearly making examples out of others to show distance from his child, most likely why he'd never even mentioned him. That fallout had landed on Sirius for one.

**Hermione was shocked to hear Crouch has a son?**

**Sirius agreed, while throwing himself back into the dirt. He tossed all his leftover bones to Buckbeak, while he continued saying it had come as a nasty shock for Crouch's own family to be pushed into the spotlight like that. It was probably his own fault, he should have gone home early for once and spent time with his own kid.**

**He then found the loaf of bread and began wolfing that down.**

"I don't think I eat like Moony?" Sirius told Harry innocently, now receiving a slap from James as he passed him next. Sirius didn't regret it, as the lame joke finally ceased his best friend's incessant tread and he slammed back down on Harry's other side mutinously.

"Oh give that back," he grumbled, offering his hand out while Harry watched him uneasily. "I might need it to crack his head open next."

Harry gave it back, a little too willingly in Sirius' heads opinion, and James forced himself to continue reading. He still wasn't happy about it, but wearing out the carpet wasn't helping him, at least this way he could read past Sirius' insistent jokes rather than letting Harry laugh at them like he was prone to do.

**Harry asked if his son really was a Death Eater?**

For some reason Harry wanted to laugh at the question from himself, something in him clamoring to say that was obvious, of course he was, but the feeling subsided instantly and Harry was instead left listening to the blistering tones of James forcing himself to read about Crouch's personal life rather than him being burned alive.

**Sirius said he had no clue if he'd really been, while stuffing himself with bread.**

"You're going to make yourself sick," Lily couldn't help but scold maternally. "You've gone from hardly eating a thing to a lot of greasy and heavy foods. What good's that going to do you?"

"Yes mum," Sirius rolled his eyes at her, trying to hide his flashing smile.

**He was in Azkaban when the guy was brought in,**

James could not ever get that out without some interesting colorful tones threatening violence and death for that having to be a thing.

**this was all stuff he'd found out after he'd escaped.**

Remus still wanted to ask where that could have been from, even vaguely hoping it could have been from himself though unlikely as he didn't particularly keep up with politics, but then again Remus like to think he'd have at least kept an eye on Crouch; the man who did this to Sirius. Was that giving himself too much credit, since he clearly hadn't cared a lick for Sirius during this time? Great, now he was depressing himself as much as he was over Sirius.

**The boy was certainly caught in the company Sirius would bet his life were Death Eaters, but it could have been wrong place, wrong time like the elf.**

"Surprised you used a house-elf over yourself in that instance," Lily whispered softly.

Sirius watched her steadily for a moment, his expression hard to read as he told, "I got caught because I didn't run Lily, that's hardly wrong time and place."

His face spasmed, showing the deep regret and hate he had for himself, letting himself get caught, this stupid situation still falling on him though that rat had set everything in motion. He controlled himself quick enough, that cocky mask back in place as he added on to egg her on, "thought that would have given me some brownie points from you? I just compared myself to a lowly house-elf."

She shook her head fondly at him, she wasn't going to rise to Sirius' bait.

**Hermione asked how hard Crouch had tried to get his son off?**

**Sirius let out a sharp bark of laughter.**

"Always a warning of trouble," Remus muttered.

Sirius grinned and gave Harry a wink, he'd never thought to describe his type of laugh like that, but he loved Harry putting it like that for him.

**Telling her he'd thought she realized better.**

"I would have thought he'd think more of his child than his elf," Lily squeaked. She hadn't gained back any of her normal color tone, the fresh news of Sirius' incarceration still heavy on everyone, but still she somehow managed to look all the worse at this news.

"I'm not even going to pretend to be surprised," James muttered lowly, he now knew he'd never put anything past Crouch after what he'd just had further evidence of.

**Crouch's fatherly affection stretched just far enough to give his son a trial,**

"Oh well hallelujah he gives someone one!" Remus snapped instantly, his spine threatening to crack in half he jerked so hard at that statement.

**and the whole show had been so everyone could see how much he hated the boy before he was given to the dementors.**

**Sirius read the shock on Harry's face and nodded along, not looking remotely amused as he told how they'd brought him right past his own bars.**

James made a sound like a kicked puppy, the image swimming before his eyes of Sirius' wasted face having to look through bars and watch all of this, hearing the screams of this guy shouting all this. He shook himself so hard to shake that off he nearly tossed his glasses across the room and forced himself to keep going, anything to focus on rather than that.

**He'd couldn't have been more than nineteen, screaming for his mother to help him, but he'd gone quiet by nightfall, most of them did. Except the ones who continued even in their sleep.**

Sirius couldn't pretend anymore. He'd been trying to force this off since he'd found out what Crouch had done to him, but everything in him was crumbling at the dead way James was reading that. He started shaking so violently the couch trembled with him, his fingers digging into the cushion to anchor him to this life right here, and they'd have to wrench it away from his limp fingers before he wound up like that.

Harry didn't even think about it this time as he wormed up to Sirius, pulling him into a hug for protection, but words failed him. He still held a deep sense of regret whenever he thought too hard about comforting Sirius, something in Harry telling him his godfather was doomed which wasn't a pleasant thing at all to be considering in light of this.

Lily reacted much better, scrambling to her feet and perching on the arm of the sofa, running her nails gently through his hair and promising, "It's alright Padfoot, that's not happening."

The oddity of Lily calling him that managed to win out, his movements going from violent shaking, to jerking, and finally stilling. He remained hunched in on himself, hardly speaking loud enough, "I don't want to end up like that."

"You won't," Remus croaked, even that had been hard to force out past his tight chest, but it was worth it when Sirius glanced up at him. His dark gray eyes were at war, he wanted to believe him but the image had trapped him better than any Devil's Snare.

Remus sighed, he knew he would regret what he was fixing to do, but at this point he'd suffer for it just to take that look off of his friends face. He gave James a steady look as he sated, "I'm serious."

James reacted almost instantly, some things really never died as he remarked, "Nope, he is," giving Sirius a winning smile.

Sirius blinked spastically at the pair of them before tackling both of them with a hug, then laughing his arse of as he declared, "you haven't done that since first year!" It was mostly for show, but Sirius would rather pet a dragon than let his friends get away with doing this.

"That joke wore off after Christmas, you were the only one who wouldn't let it go after the fact," Remus reminded.

Still not completely able to hide swimming eyes, Sirius forced himself back to his seat and caught Lily before she could sneak away. "Thanks sis," without a hint of mocking.

She met his eyes steadily, while flicking his nose like scolding a dog and saying "you're welcome love."

Sirius rubbed absently at his nose, but knew he'd take that over the wallop he knew she owed him.

James watched Sirius steadily for a few moments longer, but he considered it mission accomplished when his best friend turned back to him expectantly, waving his hand theatrically for James to continue. James knew a farce when he saw one, Sirius was still on the verge of a real panic attack again at his life heading towards that prison, but James would be remiss if he just sat here and let Sirius wallow in that instead of finding something else to do.

**For a moment, the deadened look in Sirius' eyes became more pronounced than ever, as though shutters had closed behind them.**

No one in here needed to picture that, they'd just gotten the live version, and hoped to never see it again. That fact that he was all alone in there, with no one to really turn that light back on, caused the room to feel as if it had been iced over already with a dementors presence.

**Harry asked if he was still in Azkaban, and Sirius corrected he was dead. Died less than a year after he'd been brought in.**

**At their surprise, Sirius bitterly agreed most who went mad in there stopped eating soon enough.**

Sirius suddenly wasn't Sirius anymore, but instead had poofed into Padfoot for no clear reason other than to bark in Harry's ear, lung across his lap and lick obstinately at James' ear, and then start running around the room, only pausing to occasionally bite at his tail. The others weren't sure whether to laugh or call for a Mediwizard, whether it would have worked or not, as they wondered if he'd really just snapped, but then he froze, fur bristling at James. James more than anyone was used to figuring out silent language, and the intent was clear, 'get on with it.'

He couldn't believe himself when he actually managed a weak chuckle, but he supposed the logic was sound. Sirius had survived that place as Padfoot for twelve years, he clearly felt he was only going to get through the rest of this mess in the same state.

**Most lost the will to live, and you could always tell when a death was coming, it was when the dementors got the most excited.**

Remus had never wished to be Moony in his life, but he suddenly envied Sirius. He still understood what they were saying, as he kept his tail high in the air and sniffed at Remus' boots most likely out of sheer something else to do with himself, but it was in a more simplistic nature filtered through those ears. He could still process everything being said and yet not have to face a reaction, something they all were wishing for by this time.

**Crouch's boy had looked sick enough being brought in. His father's position being what it was, Crouch and his wife had been allowed a visit to the deathbed. That was the last time Crouch saw his son, half carrying his dead wife past Sirius' own cell.**

If Harry hadn't been so distracted watching Padfoot suddenly leap onto his lap, which he was far too big for, Harry knew he would have considered much more carefully the significance of that.

James reached over absently and gave Sirius a mock pat on the head, a silent promise this was all almost over.

**Mrs. Crouch had died not long after, grief most likely. Crouch had never come again for his son's body, and the dementors had buried it just outside the prison, Sirius had watched them do it.**

James was entirely sure that was bile slicking over his tongue, his hand suddenly trembling in the fur. The distraction of the wet tongue lapping at his fingers, and then Sirius leaping cleanly over the table to start chasing his tail again the only thing that saved another vomiting session appearing. James was sorely tempted by this point to pass the book to Harry and join him as Prongs, on his life he'd never forced himself to read anything as painful as Sirius recounting his time in Azkaban.

Harry had no want to ask about Azkaban when it had been such a horrid topic for Sirius, but the question had lingered in the back of his mind so he figured he could ask now, which seemed fairer than later when he'd have to see Sirius' face again. "If only prisoners and Dementors are in Azkaban, how does that work? How do the prisoners get fed, and like go to the bathroom and stuff?"

"There's bathrooms in the cells, and the food's shipped in," Lily sighed heavily, building up a mental rant in her head she was going to save for Sirius' human ears about him tearing around her carpet with those huge feet that had unclipped claws on the end. If he tore stitches out of her rug, she was going to make him repair that without magic.

Harry did not press for more, knowing he'd pushed his luck for now when James kept going without waiting to see if Harry was done for once.

**Sirius didn't bother finishing what was left of his bread, throwing that to Buckbeak as well as he went for the pumpkin juice and draining half of it in one long gulp.**

**Wiping the rest off his lips, he continued explaining that Crouch had lost all his popularity in that one move. Going from the hero, to the town gossip. People judged him for what had become of his son, thinking if he'd spent more time with him he wouldn't have turned out like that.**

"I believe that," Remus said at once, he couldn't wrap his mind around Crouch caring about anything ever again. Not after all this.

**So now Fudge had the job, and Crouch was shunted to another department.**

**Silence beat through the cave after all that. Harry felt he finally understood Crouch's overreaction to finding Winky under the Dark Mark.**

"Makes a twisted amount of sense," Lily sighed in agreement.

**He'd probably been having flashbacks to a time when his own son had been accused of the same Dark Arts.**

**Harry told Sirius about how Moody thought Crouch was obsessed with catching Dark wizards.**

**Sirius nodded along, saying that didn't surprise him. Sirius guessed Crouch was under the delusion if he caught just one more Death Eater, his name would be popular again.**

"Let's hope it's a real one, and not just a name," James murmured to himself, keeping an eye on the dog that was finally pretending like he was going to settle, stretching out in front of the fire and closing his eyes, but keeping his ears perked and listening. The message was clear, he'd change back when the chapter was over, he wasn't risking anything else until otherwise.

**Ron finished with triumph that was the reason he'd gone into Snape's office.**

"Triumphantly?" Remus tore his own protective eyes away from Padfoot to look curiously at James and the book. "What did Ron just latch onto?"

"You're clearly not following along anymore," Lily snorted at him. "Ron's as convinced as we are Snape's a Death Eater, and I can't say I'll be displeased if Crouch does put him away for it," she finished nastily.

"I got that," he waved her off, "but was anyone disagreeing for him to be throwing that around?"

Lily shrugged without response for that.

**Sirius shook his head and said that didn't make any sense.**

"Apparently Sirius is," Harry noted, looking to his godfather in surprise, who was still pretending he was asleep, clearly not even up to defending himself and still content to let the book do it.

**Ron tried to argue back, but Sirius waved him down, pointing out if Crouch wanted to spy on Snape he'd have the perfect opportunity by coming to all these Hogwarts events.**

A sharp breath of air was released from the wet, slit nostrils, if a dog could be quietly yet smugly triumphant Padfoot was doing it.

"Oh hush you," James sighed without looking up, "if you were thinking it, you should have said it."

**Harry asked if Sirius thought Snape was up to anything?**

**Hermione pointed out Dumbledore clearly trusted Snape,**

"And that means nothing to us," Lily said bitterly, her temper flaring at the mention of his name as well as Crouch's.

**but Ron cut her off by saying as brilliant as Dumbledore was, it didn't mean a Dark wizard couldn't pull one over on him.**

**She shot back why had Snape saved Harry's life in first year then?**

"Things change," James snapped sourly, "Voldemort hadn't been on the verge of a comeback then. Clearly his priorities went from hating me yet still heeding being a teacher, to appeasing Riddle."

One sharp bark of a laughter came from Padfoot, his tail wagging from side to side a bit at that.

"I remember agreeing to call him that," Remus smirked at James as well. "I'm glad you didn't let us forget."

**Harry cut off their argument by asking Sirius' opinion, which shut the other two up.**

Lily pressed her fingers to her lips to hide her smile, she wasn't going to let Sirius see how amusing she found it Sirius had managed to stop those kids picking at each other, when Sirius was the source of nearly every fight going on in here.

**Sirius admitted they both had a good point. He'd been blasted to find out Snape was working at Hogwarts, he'd always been fascinated by the Dark Arts even as a slimy, little kid.**

"He just hit the tip of the iceberg," Remus shook his head fondly. "I've heard worse things from him on his good days about Snape." Clearly Sirius was still as lost in his own thoughts in that time to have used such mild insults.

**Snape had known more curses coming into that school than some seventh years, and his gang of Slytherin friends had all turned into Death Eaters.**

Lily bit at the inside of her cheek, pain welling up inside her chest as she fought to try and say otherwise. Even though she knew the truth, it still hurt that had ended up being so true.

**He began ticking off those old names, Rosier and Wilkes who were killed by Aurors after Voldemort fell,**

"Wicked," the three Order members suddenly perked up at that information, any failed Death Eaters was good news for them, especially in light of the fact they'd yet to come across a single member of their own group who'd survived past Voldemort's downfall as well.

**the Lestranges who were a married couple in Azkaban.**

Sirius made a 'humph' noise from his spot on the hearth, and Harry didn't need a translator to realize Sirius was adamantly saying they more than deserved it.

**Avery, who'd talked himself out of a cell by saying he'd been under the Imperius curse.**

"Something else that will be fixed," Lily's eyes flashed in outrage at hearing of this happening, again.

**Yet Snape had never even been accused. This didn't mean much, plenty of them were never even suspected, and Snape was clever enough to keep himself out.**

"That's got to be the nicest thing he's ever said about him," James shook his head in disgust.

"We never underestimated him," Remus reminded, "you were the one who near constantly reminded us to keep our checks up for him, he was the quickest to grow wise to when we were up to something. That falls under clever, to keep up with us."

"You boys fascinate me, with the amount of arrogance you hold. How the castle held your fat heads I'll never know," Lily pleasantly informed them while James smirked and Sirius' shoulders shook in silent laughter.

**Ron pointed out how Snape and Karkaroff knew each other, but were trying to keep that quiet.**

**Harry told Sirius what he'd seen yesterday, about how they were upset about something on Karkaroff's arm.**

**Sirius seemed bewildered about the arm comment,**

"Darn," James sighed, "Sirius has actually been a wealth of information so far," most of it something none of them would ever want to hear again, they all mentally agreed, "yet you couldn't answer that one."

It wasn't physically possible for a dog to actually 'stick' it's tongue out at anyone, but the pink muscle lolling out of the side of his mouth was point enough.

**but said that if Karkaroff was running to Snape for answers, that couldn't be good. He lapsed into a frustrated silence for a moment before continuing that if Dumbledore trusted Snape, than they had to trust Dumbledore for now. Sirius just couldn't see Dumbledore hiring anyone who once worked for Voldemort.**

That spiked some different feelings in everyone. Remus threw Sirius a grateful look, unbelievably happy that at least someone other than him was at least still trying to hold out hope Dumbledore wasn't completely this thing putting them through hell.

James and Lily weren't entirely sure they agreed with that assessment, they were absolutely convinced Snape had been a Death Eater at some point, and for Dumbledore not to know was not possible. Yet the headmaster must have some profound reasoning's then for keeping Snape an employee. What those reasons were though, they still weren't getting an answer.

Sirius shifted his weight around, his dark gray eyes reflecting back the firelight and causing some dancing shadows to pattern back on the walls in a rather eerie fashion. Harry's mind flashed back to when he'd feared this sight, and knew this would have at one point caused him heart failure to see the Grim so casually watching this room. Now Harry instead forced his mind to get away from that question he was sure he had an answer to, and instead wondered what it must feel like for a tongue to be scraping so harshly over canines and if that hurt while his large body panted next to the heat.

**Ron insisted there must be a reason Crouch and Moody were going through Snape's office.**

"Got to give him credit," James shook his head fondly, "I give anyone points who fights back with Sirius."

"You're giving yourself too much credit," Lily snipped back, "he's hardly the mastermind you seem to think."

Sirius made a yip noise of protest, but Lily just glared back at him. The message was clear, she wasn't taking it back unless he changed back.

He stood up, spun in a circle, and plopped back down with his back to them instead like a pouting child.

"I was actually speaking of you dear," James told his wife while watching Padfoot with worry growing eyes. They'd moved past the Azkaban talk, and James was really starting to want his best friend back. "I've never met anyone so willing to verbally spar with him."

"Flatterer," she scolded with a quirk of her lips.

**Sirius agreed Moody wasn't something to underestimate, but he'd always been fair. Hauled in anyone he could get away with and tried not to resort to violence. Crouch though, that was a different story. If he wasn't ill, what was he playing at? What's he been doing rather than attending the schools event?**

"He just managed to ask every question we have been this whole time," Remus rolled his eyes in exasperation.

**They all stayed silent for a time after that, the only noise Buckbeak snooping around for any bones he'd missed.**

**Sirius was the first to break the silence, turning to Ron and asking about Percy, wondering if Ron could send a message to him asking about any news from Crouch?**

"I'd think he's already been asked that a dozen times over," Lily scoffed. "If he's in charge of the department, he would have told someone by now if he'd actually seen his boss."

"Maybe he might mention something to Ron though," Remus shrugged in Sirius' defense.

**Ron agreed he'd try.**

**Sirius also suggested dropping a question about Bertha, see if there was any more recent news on her.**

**Harry told about Bagman telling him more recently there wasn't.**

**Sirius said he wasn't going to take Bagman at word, he'd been quoted saying how bad he thought of Bertha's memory. Sirius though had known her differently, she'd been in school at the same time as him, and she'd had an excellent use of her memory by dishing out the school's gossip.**

Harry remembered back to Bertha being mentioned in the same light in here, and Harry had a feeling it wasn't Sirius' memories or Bertha that was different. It was most likely in fact, something very important about her memories that got her into so much trouble...

**He could easily picture her being a liability to the Ministry, which is why it may have taken them so long to go looking for her.**

**He cut himself off with a weary shake of his head, asking what time it was?**

**Hermione told it was half past three, and Sirius told them to get back to school. Then he gave Harry a particularly hard look,**

Harry tried to look innocent of whatever he was sure Sirius was fixing to tell him, which wasn't fooling anyone, not even the canine who managed another huffing laugh with his back still turned to the lot of them.

**as he told them not to come back out here unless Sirius said to. Just keep sending notes, he still wanted to hear if anything else odd was happening. They were not to go wandering around out here though, it would be too easy for them to be attacked.**

"I love paranoid Sirius," Lily said sincerely, starting to feel some worry herself, she wasn't used to not hearing Sirius speak for so long. "He actually gives good advice."

Sirius gave her a happy little wag of his tail for that.

**Harry shot back the only danger he'd been in this year was from a dragon and a grindylow.**

**Sirius scowled at Harry, telling him not to get lax. He wasn't going to be breathing easily until this was over in June. Then he added on not to go calling him by name in public, and instead they should use Snuffles.**

Three collective snorts of laughter appeared for that, Sirius was even so distracted he rolled over to watch them laugh at this.

"I think I get it," Lily said with a small smile. "Sirius, you told Harry to call you that, because you and Remus are the only ones who would understand who that's referring to."

Remus was frowning in consternation, thinking over in his head what all Sirius and Harry had and could be writing to each other, and grudgingly saying, "yeah, I guess, and if he's thinking of hiding it from a certain someone," he got out through only slightly gritted teeth, "I guess it would make sense not to go with Padfoot."

James wasn't nearly as amused at the reminder for the secrecy, and in all honesty he was entirely certain that rat could pick up on Sirius' handwriting if anything so it still wasn't much use in hiding it from him if he was trying to intercept their letters, but he wasn't going to knock his best friend's paranoia either.

**He gave Harry back his bag and said he'd walk with them back to Hogsmeade, try to find another newspaper.**

**He turned back into the black dog and led the way back down to the stile. He waited patiently as they each gave him a pat on the head, before he vanished back into the shadows.**

Harry felt something very heavy sinking down into the pit of him. Somehow, he just knew the next time he saw his godfather wasn't going to be a good thing...

The others weren't feeling much better, each wanting to rub it in that they'd been right all along, Sirius coming back around had been more terrible than anything, though ironically the worst on the man himself.

Padfoot was stretching leisurely and getting back to his feet, shaking himself off as he watched James fingering the last page of this chapter.

**The three of them headed back to Hogwarts, Ron asking if Percy knew all that stuff about Crouch?**

"I really wouldn't think so," Lily frowned to herself, "I can't help thinking that isn't common knowledge. Crouch would want to keep that as hushed up as possible, and if he didn't talk about his family much before, I wouldn't think he would afterwards."

**Then answering himself that he probably wouldn't care, he'd just admire Crouch more for it.**

"That's disgusting," Remus yelped in shock. "Ron can't really mean that," his mind had instantly flashed back to the panicky older brother, sobbing and dragging his kid brother out of an icy lake after thinking something had happened to him.

"Yeah, I think Ron's exaggerating on this one," James agreed sadly. "Even Percy's not that bad."

Harry felt a bone deep shiver that he in no way wanted to pretend to process. Surely he was just getting a chill from sitting still so long...Percy would never turn his back on his family like that...

**Hermione was shocked at him, telling him Percy would never hand over his family to dementors.**

**Ron shrugged her off, saying he just might if they stood in the way of his career.**

"Oh please stop," Lily whispered as Padfoot froze in place. It was clear he'd been fixing to change back to a person, but at one last mention of those dementors, he released a high pitched keening noise and roughly shook his head as if to scare off a gnat.

**They walked back to the smells of dinner starting, and Ron told Harry how much he should appreciate poor Snuffles, living off of rats just to be around.**

"That's the least awful thing I've heard about myself recently," Sirius grumbled as he stumbled slightly on his two feet, before going over to James and taking the book away.

* * *

I promise Padfoot popping up like that won't become a regular occurrence, no matter how much I loved writing like that, but I can't say he won't ever come back either...

*That whole conversation happened between me and nahte123456.


	29. THE MADNESS OF MR. CROUCH

Actually hitting single digits of how many chapters are left, we're getting close guys!

To xiaoweisan: Something I plan on bringing up in the fifth book

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Sirius still didn't really look like himself as he collapsed back into his seat, there wasn't enough energy around him like there should have been. It was clear to all, that the more that was shown of this after Azkaban Sirius, their Sirius would continue trying his very hardest to act in as exact opposite as possible in his efforts to prove it wasn't going to get to him. In fact, just to put himself in even a slightly better mood and keep as much attention off of him as he could for a time, he exclaimed "I think we should give Lily a Marauder's nickname!"

"Why?" Remus chuckled, not knocking the idea, but laughing that this came out of the blue.

"I like it," James said at once, taking no time to warm to the idea. "She's been unofficial since her and I got engaged, this would make it official."

"And what would you suggest?" Lily wrinkled her nose at the boy's, feeling beyond flattered that they were doing this, but never missing a chance to tease them. "Mrs. Prong's? I think not."

"No, no, it's got to be better than that" James sighed, running his hand through his hair in thought. "What about Willow?"

"Isn't that a tree, why would you go with that?" Sirius snorted in surprise.

Quickly moving past, he kept shooting off "What about Petal, she is my Lily flower."

"What about Doe." Harry offered with a faint smile, trying to restrain how immeasurably happy it made him to witness this. When he received a few blank looks, he shrugged and said, "What, it's a female deer, and you guys all got named for your animals, shouldn't she be the same?"

"Yeah, but that's not very subtle" Sirius said, his head cocked to the side in thought.

James snorted "like Padfoot is? Or Prongs? Remus' is practically smack you in the face obvious."

"Well If I get one then so does Harry." Lily quickly shot off.

"What, no," he automatically tried to protest, going beat red in the face, but James waved him off at once saying, "but of course, I would have said something sooner, but I can't come up with a good one for him either."

"You really don't like Bambi" Remus wheedled, a smirk still threatening to show.

"What's that got to do with a deer?" Sirius demanded.

Several other things got circulated, and Sirius sat back in satisfaction his plan had obviously worked, now trying to hide his own amusement at Lily correcting.

"-we are not calling him PJ, or MJ for that matter, come up with something more original."

"If you like referring to a baby deer so much, let's call you Fawn," Remus shot at her.

"That's as ridiculous as you trying to call James Comet, or Prancer. What's with all the deer themes?" Sirius insisted. "What about Wildfire, or Brighteyes. Both compliment her physically, and you know those would translate into her animagus."

"I like Roan, as my actual guess for the deer she'd turn into would be a red deer," James offered. "And what about Fleetfoot for Harry? Deer's run on their toes, it fits." *

Sirius was clearly fixing to return with something else, but then Lily finally cut across and insisted, "I was going to serve lunch after this next chapter, if you actually want to eat why don't you get along to the book mister."

Sirius pouted at her for ruining his fun, but the hold of food over his head finally won out and he forcefully started his chapter with only a bit of unease still lingering in him.

**The three of them went up to the Owlery the next day to send that letter to Percy, using Hedwig to give her something to do.**

"You'd think she'd enjoy the time off," James rolled his eyes.

**After that, they went down to the kitchens to give Dobby his new socks, the elf was ecstatic.**

Lily was beaming with pleasure, so proud of her boy for turning around and giving Dobby back something for all the help he'd given.

**Squealing about how Harry Potter was too good to him.**

"Nah, he deserved them," Remus smiled, "otherwise it really did seem like you weren't going to be doing that task."

Harry didn't disagree, but still he asked, "How do you think Dobby even knew to grab that for me?"

"He mentioned he heard the teachers talking about it," Lily reminded, "so he probably got the idea from them and filched it from Snape. Does not seem out of character for him to do anything to help you."

Harry agreed, but still couldn't quite erase that nagging feeling he had that he was missing something from this exchange.

**Harry returned that Dobby had saved his life with that gillyweed,**

"Maybe literally," Sirius muttered to himself, none of them still wanting to think what would have happened to Harry if he hadn't completed that stupid task.

**while Ron asked for more eclairs.**

**Hermione scolded he'd just eaten breakfast,**

"And why should that stop him?" James demanded of no one. "Are you telling me she doesn't eat dessert after every meal?"

**yet another platter full of eclairs had already appeared via the other house-elves.**

**Harry asked if perhaps they should ask for even more extras to take back for Snuffles.**

"Yes," everyone but Sirius instantly agreed, while he honestly looked disappointed at Harry.

"A little conspicuous don't you think? Food isn't usually sent to the mountains."

"Shut it and say thank you," Remus snapped instantly, squirming in unease that Sirius was starting to act as paranoid as he was in the future.

**Ron agreed to the idea at once, they could use Pig so he could have something to do. The house-elves were already scurrying around for the order.**

"Even Hermione can't argue with the good of that," Lily smiled.

**Hermione turned back to Dobby and asked how Winky was doing?**

**Dobby's enthusiasm vanished at once as he gestured to the fireplace, where at first the elf was indistinguishable from the blackened bricks.**

"Eesh," James muttered in disgust. House-elves were normally very clean creatures, it was in their nature, and the thought of one falling this far really boggled his mind.

**Her clothes were falling apart they were so unkempt, and she had several empty butterbeer bottles all around her, a mostly empty one in her hand as she swayed on her stool.**

**Dobby told that she was drinking at least six of those a day.**

"Is she actually getting drunk off of it?" Harry asked in surprise, thinking there must be something really odd for house-elves to be having reactions to a nonalcoholic drink.

"I honestly have no clue," Sirius raised a brow in surprise, "I've never known one to drink it. They usually just eat whatever they're masters say they can, and I've never known one to allow them to have a butterbeer."

**Harry told that it shouldn't be strong enough, but Dobby corrected it was to their kind.**

**All of the elves around them now were giving disapproving looks to the pair of house-elves as they began edging away to perform other works.**

**Dobby continued explaining that Winky was still pining for her old master, she hadn't accepted Dumbledore as her knew one yet.**

Lily gave a pitiful sigh for the poor thing, also wondering on if Dumbledore knew how bad she was? She liked to think he wouldn't really leave her down in the kitchens to mope all day like that, but then again, what else would he be expected to do with her? He'd hardly kick her back to the streets.

**Harry got a sudden idea about Winky, and turned to ask her if she knew what Crouch might be up to these days.**

"I can't see how she would," Remus said in surprise, the former house-elf of the guy had never even crossed their mind. "Crouch only started acting like this loony self after he sacked her."

"I'm sure Hermione would just love to point out how much he deserves this just for that," Sirius smirked.

Further talk of Crouch was not making anyone better, and though it wasn't the elf's fault at all, they were all desperately hoping Harry would drop this very soon so they could move away from this.

**Winky focused bleary eyes on them as she hiccupped her way through asking about her master not coming up to school anymore?**

**Harry confirmed he'd heard reports about him being ill, and Winky began sobbing how Master needed his elf!**

**Hermione tried to cut in, saying plenty of people got along with their housework.**

"Well sure, but magic just can't do everything," James sighed, his mind flickering back sadly to his mum always giving him chores on his holiday. Now that she was gone, he was surprised how much he missed the menial tasks, and her lectures that elbow grease was as good as any spell he would try using.

**Winky was distraught at the notion that was all she did, still hiccupping at every other word about how she kept his trust and his most important secrets.**

Sirius rolled his eyes in derision at the idea of, "who confides anything in a house-elf? I can't imagine Crouch using her like a diary. Sure he'd talk openly with her around since she couldn't go spreading whatever he told her not to, but I think she's exaggerating her own worth now."

Lily gave him a hateful look for that, he still somehow managed to sound far to condescending of the house-elf kind.

Harry was on his mum's side, there was something very ironic in Sirius thinking house-elves shouldn't be bothered with secrets and tasks...

**Harry tried to ask for more, but Winky glared mutinously at Harry, telling him off for being nosy in between her slurring.**

**Dobby jumped to Harry's defense at once, telling Winky off for calling Harry Potter nosy!**

"Well this is certainly interesting," Remus couldn't stop a curious smile lighting him. "House-elf versus house-elf, against two people who aren't even technically their masters."

"I'm sure you'd just love to do a whole study over this," James snorted.

"I'll admit, this is fairly unique," Sirius agreed.

**Going on to say Harry Potter is brave and noble, and not nosy!**

Despite his own blushing at the praise, even Harry couldn't stop a light laugh along with the others at that last trait he'd own up to.

**Winky was being adamant, still hiccupping after every word about how he was putting his nose in her master's business, but Winky kept her silence no matter who asked-**

Sirius was going cross eyed with annoyance at having to read so many hic's. Couldn't someone shout boo at her already and scare that off, Winky was certainly tipsy enough she'd fall for it.

**then suddenly she slid off the stool and fell to the ground snoring.**

"Or that," Sirius said aloud with a happy little laugh, refusing to explain himself to the others just to annoy them.

**The now empty bottle rolled away, and a few house-elves came over to tuck a blanket around her, hiding her from sight.**

"I'm sure that's their favorite part of the day," James shook his head, "when they can put her in her place."

"You two are depressing me," Lily scolded them both, still trying to find the sweetness in the gesture they were putting a blanket over her even when they didn't like her.

**One elf turned to apologize for Winky, asking they not think of the lot of them like her.**

"Hermione's the only one who's trying to," Remus had an odd look in place, "which is ironic, considering she's trying to force them all to act that way and not acknowledge they all have rather unique personalities."

"Honestly hoping you two have a discussion about this someday," Sirius told him honestly, if only for the fact that would mean Remus was back in the picture at all.

**Hermione tried to explain for the poor thing that she was unhappy, couldn't they try helping rather than just covering her up.**

**The elf shook its head, saying they were too busy to be unhappy, there was work to be done and masters to be served.**

"Well that was just depressing," Lily sighed, having finally admitted that though house-elves seemed to live for their work by their very nature, couldn't they at least have a side hobby or something. They shouldn't have to live for their work twenty-four seven, and should be allowed to grieve or other instances when the time came. Then she honestly wondered if, like Dobby's unique reaction in being happy of his freedom, was Winky even having these emotions at all just as circumstantial? Had studies ever even been done to show the emotional range of these creatures? She'd never heard of one, and now added it to her list of growing projects.

**Hermione lost her temper on them, telling all within ear shot to listen to her, they had just as much a right as wizards to clothes and wages!**

Sirius sighed and rolled his eyes, wishing he'd taken the time in that cave to talk about house-elves with Hermione rather than Crouch.

**Just look at Dobby!**

**Dobby begged her to leave his name out of this.**

"I don't blame him," James was surprised at himself how upset he felt on Dobby's behalf, the poor guy was already an outsider by his kind, Hermione was only making it worse just then.

**All of the happy smiles around them vanished at Hermione's declaration, and were suddenly eyeing her as if she were mad.**

"From their perspective, she is," Remus agreed.

**An elf appeared from the crowd with a ham, and a dozen cakes for Harry to leave with.**

Despite the paranoia ringing in the back of Sirius' mind, he wasn't going to deny how warmed he was at Harry considering him like that, ham always sounded better than rat.

**Then said ungraciously good-bye, and many tiny little hands were forcing all three of them out of the kitchens.**

"Wow, George's prediction came true, Hermione did start a riot in the kitchens," James raised a brow.

"Just in the opposite way of how she meant to," Remus shook his head.

"Credit, we've never been thrown out before, so you did something else we never have," Sirius couldn't stop a bit of laughter.

**Dobby called one last thank you for the socks as he vanished from sight.**

**Ron was angry with Hermione at once, pointing out they wouldn't like them visiting anymore.**

"And why would that stop you coming back?" Sirius asked. "You can still pop in and visit, they'd just be a little more bitter about being polite. It's still in their nature to serve you though."

**They could have tried to find out more about Crouch from Winky.**

"I don't see that happening though," Remus disagreed.

**Hermione snapped he didn't care about that, he just wanted more food.**

"Yes, and?" James asked, wondering what other reason there was.

**The two were irritable for the rest of the trip back upstairs, so Harry went off alone to send the food to Sirius.**

"Here I thought you said you were used to it," Lily sighed.

"Doesn't mean I always enjoy hearing it," Harry shrugged.

**Pigwidgeon was too small to take the lot, so Harry got a couple of school owls to help.**

Sirius still couldn't stop a grimace, the more owls the more obvious the delivery and only proving his point further.

**Once they were out of sight, Harry leaned against the windowless ledge and stared out into the grounds, Hagrid's cabin visible. The man was out front his hut, digging up what looked to be a new garden.**

"Wouldn't be that surprised," Lily smiled happily, thinking she'd have loved nothing more than to listen to Harry simply watching the going on's of the grounds for hours from his perspective, it would have been far more enjoyable than half the death defying stunts he was usually in otherwise.

**Maxime soon made an appearance,**

They all got a haughty look about them for that at once, none of them wanting to hear from her after the way she treated Hagrid, and honestly half convinced it was still her fault he'd ended up in the papers like that.

**and looked to try talking to him, but Hagrid hardly spared her a glance, and she soon left.**

"I'm loving all the colorful things he could have said to her," Sirius gave a not so happy smile.

Lily liked to think Hagrid would have been a bit more of a gentleman and just kindly told Maxime to move along, but honestly she wouldn't put it past him to say something worse either, she sort of deserved it.

**Instead of going back to the Tower, he instead stayed late into the night watching the lawns until everything faded to black.**

**By breakfast Ron and Hermione's argument had ceased, most likely because despite Ron's prediction, breakfast was as good as ever.**

"I could have told you that," James chuckled happily.

**Harry loaded his plate with all the bacon and eggs he usually did.**

Sirius groaned and rubbed at his stomach, food had been mentioned far too often already for his stomach's liking.

Lily sighed, she knew that was coming, and decided she really would start thinking about lunch after this chapter.

**Mail arrived on time, and Hermione began looking around expectantly.**

**When asked, she told that she'd taken out a subscription to the Daily Prophet.**

"Honestly I'm stunned it's taken her this long to do so," Remus agreed, "I'd half expected her to do it back in first year when she first found out about them."

**She was sick of getting all the news from the Slytherins.**

"And there's that," Sirius nodded along, thinking it was poor form on Harry's part to always have to wait on his enemies to find out these important things going on.

**An owl did indeed arrive for her, but so did half a dozen others.**

"Err?" Lily said in surprise.

"Did Hermione subscribe to a few other papers as well," Sirius tried to say before trailing off in confusion.

**Harry asked how many subscriptions she'd gone for, but Hermione had no clue what was going on as she tore open an envelope. Then she blanched.**

"That's not an encouraging start," James winced.

**She quickly flipped the paper around to show them, and it wasn't a handwritten letter, but a jumbled note clipped from newspapers detailing what a wicked girl Hermione was toying with Harry's life.**

"Ouch," all five of them winced for poor Hermione.

"I can't believe this," Lily snapped, "people are actually sending her hate mail? Because they think they have the whole story when they've never even met her."

"Welcome to the media," Remus reminded bitterly, "where people will instantly believe the worst."

**Hermione was going through even more, getting angrier with every one that was just like the previous. Then she got to one that made her yelp in pain as a yellowish liquid came pouring out over her hands, causing her skin to boil.**

"What the bloody-" James began in outrage, thinking if someone had actually sent Hermione a cursed letter for this mess Skeeter had started than someone was really going to have a problem from him.

**One sniff showed it was bubotuber pus.**

"Oh that poor thing," Lily crooned, already having to fight down the urge to shield Hermione and rush her off for help, she could only imagine how painful that was.

"I'm going to hex someone's brains out," Sirius growled at anyone doing that to a kid. Hermione hadn't always been the top of his favorite people, but even he'd never disliked her this much, and all over a stupid article!

**Tears sprang to Hermione's eyes with pain as she tried to wipe it off, but her fingers were already swelling and sores were appearing in her skin.**

Harry was starting to go red with rage that someone had caused that kind of pain in his friend, when she hadn't done anything to deserve it, and this was all Skeeter's fault!

**Harry promised they'd tell Sprout where she was as she sprinted off for the hospital wing, while Ron whispered that he'd warned her.**

"Is now really the time for I told you so's?" Remus demanded.

"He's paying back Hermione for all the times she's done it to them," Sirius sighed.

**He was still sorting through the opened letters, clearly worrying as he told that she'd better watch out for herself.**

"Or just not open any mail any time soon," Lily agreed through gritted teeth.

"I for once actually wish Hogwarts would screen these kids mail or something," James shook his head with depression. "Even Death Eaters never sent cursed mail to students."

**They went through Herbology subdued without their friend, and traipsed down to Care of Magical Creatures in the same mood, which didn't improve when the Slytherin's were seen approaching. Pansy was already giggling and whispering about something, and her mood only seemed to improve when she called to Harry where his girlfriend was? Why had she run out of breakfast crying, had they broken up already?**

"I don't believe Pansy's ever had the pleasure of knowing what bubotuber pus can do to you," Remus began pleasantly enough.

"There's an egregious lapse on her part," James agreed with a heavy smile, "I do hope someone passes along the message to a set of twins. She really needs to be set right."

Sirius thought that was being too kind, he wished he could be the one to set the lot of those Slytherin's right, but it was a good starting point.

**Harry turned away to ignore her, not wanting to give the satisfaction of knowing how much damage that article had done.**

**Last lesson had ended with Hagrid promising they were done with unicorns, and the fact that the first thing Harry spotted was more boxes this time wasn't encouraging.**

"Err oh," Sirius hummed, fear that the skrewts had somehow created another clutch of eggs. They'd all really been hoping Hagrid had learned his lesson before.

**Harry's first thought was more skrewts, but once he got a look inside, he saw fuzzy little black creatures with long snouts and feet like spades, all blinking up at them happily enough.**

"Nifflers," Remus beamed at the admittedly adorable mole like creatures of havoc. "I've always loved the root word of them, niff, which means to pilfer. They were originally bred by Goblins to help them in their search for-"

Lily reached over and placed her hand over his mouth with an obvious look, while he pouted and jerked away.

Sirius wasn't even bothering to hide his laughter, they'd all told Remus more than once not to go spouting off those kinds of facts until after Hagrid had explained whatever so that they wouldn't have to hear repeat information.

**Hagrid greeted them all, before saying today's lesson was over nifflers. They were found in mines and loved sparkly stuff, one such even demonstrated by suddenly leaping to its feet and going for Pansy's watch. She shrieked and jumped away just in time.**

All five of them laughed at that, it was small payback but dearly loved.

**Hagrid was still going, saying these little treasure detectors had a job today. Each of the students were going to pick one, and they were going to find the coins Hagrid had buried over there.**

**He gestured to the upturned soil Harry had seen Hagrid working on yesterday.**

" _Never_ let anyone say Hagrid doesn't do interesting lessons," Sirius vowed, his eyes shining with light at this. "All Kettleburn did was a demonstration for us, had a gold coin being moved around while the creature followed it."

**After a warning for them all to tuck away their own shiny valuables, Hagrid promised a prize to the person who got the fastest niffler, and then they all stepped forward to pick one.**

**Harry picked one up curiously, and its long snout at once went sniffling around his ear.**

Lily giggled childishly, at the image.

James couldn't resist making the crack, "good luck of it finding anything in there."

"Gee thanks," Harry laughed.

**It was really quite cuddly.**

"No we're not getting one Lily," James said at once when she looked to asking. "Ask him why not," gesturing at Remus to continue.

He crossed his arms and gave them all a look that plainly said, 'oh, now you want me to talk?'

"Well, just take my word for it then," James concluded.

**Hagrid did a quick count before they began and realized they had an extra, asking where Hermione was?**

**Ron explained she'd had to go to the hospital wing, while Harry promised he'd give details later, Pansy was listening.**

"Guess I'm just happy she didn't witness it," Lily sighed, "it would only make things worse."

**The class was highly entertained as the little creatures went diving in and out of the dirt like water, always coming up with a new clutch of coins. Ron's was by far the fastest, his lap was soon filled with the gold.**

"Good for him," Sirius beamed, thinking as small as it was, it was good for him to have even this small little win.

**Ron was enthused with the idea of even buying one for himself.**

James was all the more pleased Ron had now asked, since Moony was giving them all the silent treatment.

**Hagrid at once deterred what a bad idea it was, they were house wreckers.**

"He could have gone into a lot more detail," Sirius said, giving Remus an obvious look, "but picture that thing going into every corner of your house collecting anything it wanted and tucking it away. You can't really train them either."

Lily deflated on the idea, even if she did still want to see one in person eventually.

**By the time all the coins had been found, Hermione made her slow approach, her hands heavily bandaged.**

**Hagrid didn't notice at first as he was telling off Goyle for trying to tuck his coins away into his pockets,**

"Why am I not surprised?" James rolled his eyes in disgust.

**saying it wouldn't do him any good as it was leprechaun gold, it would vanish in a few hours.**

"I'm actually not surprised by that," Sirius agreed, it didn't seem like Hagrid to be playing around with real money.

**Ron's niffler had indeed won, and he was presented with a large bar of chocolate.**

"Best prize he could get," Sirius smacked his lips in appreciation.

**Class was dismissed, and the three of them hung behind, Harry and Ron making sure all the nifflers were put back in their boxes while Hermione told Hagrid what had happened.**

**Harry spotted Maxime looking out her carriage window at them.**

"Serves her right," Lily huffed, she hoped Maxime regretted this forever.

**Hagrid shook his head sadly for her, telling her not to worry too much about it, he'd gotten the same hateful letters about him at first.**

"What is wrong with people?" Lily flushed anew with hatred. "He didn't ask for his parentage, Hermione never got to tell her side, but these people can just send those terrible, possibly dangerous things. What if Hermione hadn't been able to go to the hospital wing?"

"I wonder if that pus would even have any effect on Hagrid's skin," James scratched absently at his face in thought, then flinched away from his wife who was sending him a very obvious 'that wasn't my point'!

**Hermione was shocked as Hagrid quoted a few, but Hagrid brushed it off as them all being nutters. Hermione would do well to just burn the lot if they came again.**

**On the way back to the castle, Harry told Hermione about the lesson she'd missed.**

"Oh that's right Harry, just rub it in," Sirius rolled his eyes.

**Ron didn't speak the whole time on the way to lunch, and Harry jokingly asked if he'd gotten the wrong flavor chocolate?**

"No such thing," James shook his head at once.

**Ron instead asked Harry why he'd never mentioned the gold?**

"Why would Harry tell Ron about the leprechaun gold?" Lily asked in surprise.

"Harry didn't even know," James suddenly recalled telling him this back at the Cup.

"Was Ron planning on stealing some?" Sirius asked redundantly.

**Harry asked what he meant, and Ron elaborated all that leprechaun gold he'd given at the Cup to pay back those Omnioculars. Harry hadn't ever mentioned it disappearing.**

"Uh oh," the five of them muttered, even Remus involuntarily as they all realized this was coming pretty late after the fact, but it still might upset Ron.

**Harry had to cast his mind back to realize what Ron meant, that then quickly pointed out he hadn't noticed till much later, he'd been busy looking for his wand.**

**Ron stabbed at a potato as he bitterly said how nice it must be to be so rich you didn't notice a pocket full of Galleons going missing.**

Harry opened, then quickly closed his mouth sheepishly. Truth be told, the thought never had crossed his mind again, as he'd just defended he'd been far more concerned about his wand, and then after the whole event seemed spoiled.

"Ron's just being too sensitive," Remus sighed, breaking his silence, he was getting bored anyways. "I doubt he would have noticed either if it had been his wand."

"It speaks," Lily grinned.

"Apparently about anything other than Magical Creatures," he rolled his eyes at the lot of them.

**Harry tried to remind Ron about the important rest of that night, but he was still stuck. Saying Harry shouldn't have given him that hat for Christmas.**

"Oh come on, don't tell me Ron's really going to linger on this," Sirius pouted.

"It really was just an unfortunate happenstance," James winced in agreement.

**Harry instead tried to convince him to forget about it, but Ron bitterly stated that he hated being poor.**

"How do you even respond to that," Lily muttered to herself, keeping her voice low enough Remus wouldn't hear as he'd clearly realized he'd chosen a poor moment to speak up again, he knew better than anyone this wasn't a feeling you ever really just got over.

**Continuing he couldn't blame Fred and George for what they were doing, trying to earn some money. He wished he could go buy a niffler and get rich.**

"Would not make his situation any better," Remus sighed, "not all the shiny things they find are worth money."

**Hermione tried to make a joke they'd be sure to get him one for next Christmas then, but when he still didn't look any better, she instead pointed out it could be worse, he could have bubotuber all over his fingers.**

"There's the bright side," James tried for a winning smile.

**Hermione was having difficulties eating her own meal, her hands so swollen she couldn't maneuver her fork and knife.**

"She should have just had soup that night," Sirius winced.

"I don't think curling her fingers around a spoon would be any better," Lily sighed.

**She dropped them quickly enough and burst out in anger how she was going to get that Skeeter woman back.**

"Can not wait to hear that," they all agreed enthusiastically, Harry more than anyone with utter conviction it would happen.

**Over the next few days, hate mail did continue to come for her, but in Hagrid's advice she tried to get rid of it all. That didn't always work, as some sent howlers, which screamed at her loud enough that the whole hall knew of the event even if they hadn't read about it.**

**Harry was trying to encourage her it would all die down, like that stuff about him had.**

"Still infuriating they believe it at all," Lily snapped.

**Hermione was still furiously curious how she was even doing it, listening in on these things when she shouldn't have even been there.**

"Hopefully something illegal enough Skeeter won't ever be able to write again," Sirius grumbled.

Harry had an absent smile of agreement in place, thinking on how right Sirius was.

**She hung back in their next DADA class, though no one else did as they sprinted for the door. They'd all been treated to Twitchy Ear hexes, Harry still having to hold his down to stop them moving.**

"What on earth is the point of that spell?" Harry muttered in agitation. It was certainly annoying, but hardly the best tool he'd heard of for Defense.

"Some spells are created for the sole purpose of not actually having a bad impact when landed," Remus happily answered, and Harry had a flashback to Professor Lupin now more than ever. "When you learn a shield charm and such, you only hope if the spell doesn't work, it won't leave you harmed as much."

Harry nodded in understanding, knowing he'd never have asked Moody such a question, he was too afraid to ask the old Auror what the point of any spell was the way he went on.

**Hermione caught up to them, made sure Harry could still hear through his clamped ears, and told that she'd asked Moody, he hadn't seen her anywhere near the judges table, cloak or otherwise.**

**Ron asked if there was any chance she'd drop this?**

"Why would she?" Sirius asked, aghast with once at Ron.

"So she doesn't get even more hurt," Lily sighed, some lingering fear for Hermione still there she could be getting in over her head, going after such a powerful woman with such a following. There was always the chance even if Hermione did find something out, it had to be something so irrefutable Skeeter couldn't write it off as the payback of a 'silly little girl.'

**Hermione snapped no at once, she was going to find out how she'd heard all that stuff!**

**Harry offered maybe Skeeter was bugging people.**

Harry felt his tongue curling in his mouth, his jaw doing a wonky number in regret of himself saying that for some reason... and was thankfully distracted from his own dilemma by his dad cocking his head to the side in confusion.

Sirius said back, "I'll explain if the book doesn't in a second," thinking Ron wouldn't know any better than Prongs.

**Ron asked what good fleas would do?**

James gave a happy little laugh, both that he hadn't been the only one to not get it, and that had been what he was thinking.

**Harry explained about recording devices while Hermione shot down the idea.**

James pouted, but admitted he was fine with the answer for now even if he was interested for more.

**Demanding to know if they were ever going to read Hogwarts, A History?**

"Why would they?" Remus smirked, "she clearly has it memorized, they can just go to her for it."

**Ron asked why they'd bother, since she knew the whole thing.**

"Shut it Padfoot," Remus said instantly before Sirius could mock him.

**Hermione answered that electrical devices didn't work at Hogwarts, they went haywire around so much magic.**

"Is that why Hogwarts doesn't have phones?" Harry asked in surprise. He'd always thought the castle was just being traditional with the owls and such, not that there was an actual reason for them.

"Yep," Lily agreed, "even outside of Hogwarts, in just plain wizarding houses, anything that relies too heavily on electricity won't work. It's why purebloods are so unaware of them in general, it's not that they refuse to learn about them, they've just never come across them."

"I can vouch for that," James nodded along.

**Rita wasn't using anything muggle, if only Hermione could figure out what she was doing.**

**Ron pointed out they had enough to worry about without adding a vendetta to the list.**

**Hermione snapped they didn't have to help, she'd figure it out on her own!**

Harry did honestly feel bad for her, he knew he and Ron would have tried to help if they could, but they were a little too worried about the payback Rita had already done. That's all they needed was for even more bad things to arise and hit them, but clearly Hermione cared nothing for the consequences.

**She marched off, and Harry had no doubts she was heading for the library.**

"I agree," Remus chuckled.

**Ron asked what the odds were she'd come back with I Hate Rita Skeeter badges.**

"I'd wear that prouder than a S. P. E. W. badge," Sirius said with chipper.

"IHRS actually sound pretty cool anyways," James agreed.

**Hermione didn't ask for their help again on the subject, and both were grateful as they didn't have the time to help if they wanted to. Both were hardly treading in their mountain of homework.**

"I'd rather find ways of revenge than focus on homework," James scoffed.

**Harry didn't understand how his friend had the time for anything extra as he focused on his workload. Still, he made time at least several times a week to send more food up for Sirius.**

Sirius couldn't stop a little hitch of gratitude in his throat for that no matter how much he insisted it was unnecessary aloud to him.

Harry just gave him a challenging look back, stating, "If you're going to be sticking around me at your own risk, the least I can do is help however I can."

Sirius could have kept arguing, but he was so touched, and honestly it was a moot point as of right now, he didn't, for now.

**After last summer, Harry had not forgotten what it felt like to be continually hungry.**

Lily shivered slightly as she avoided looking at both boys for a moment, growing more and more wary the longer the parallels between those two boys continued. She'd never wish anything remotely like Sirius' life on Harry, yet that's what seemed to keep happening.

**He kept sending notes as well, telling there was nothing new and they were still waiting on a reply from Percy.**

**It came in the form of Easter Eggs, passed along from Mrs. Weasley and Percy at once. The boys were the size of dragon eggs and filled with toffee. Hermione's was hardly bigger than a chicken's egg.**

"Oh she didn't!" Lily burst, turning the growing worry she had for Sirius into outrage on this. "Molly did not really believe this of Hermione!"

"I'm not that surprised," James crinkled his nose up in agitation, "if she believed that tosh about Harry the first time, she'll believe anything."

"I do not understand this woman," Sirius shook his head sharply, "she knew what was written about her own family wasn't true, but readily believes the same woman about kids she should know better!"

**Hermione eyed the egg for a long while before asking Ron if his mum could have read that article?**

**Ron said it was a possibility, around a mouthful of toffee.**

Remus shook his head pitifully at Ron not taking a bleeding hint, he really thought that the friend should have offered his own egg in compensation for his mother acting like a prat.

**Harry distracted her by reading Percy's letter, which was short and irate.**

"It takes talent to make a letter irritated," Sirius agreed.

**Stiffly written out that as he told the Prophet, Crouch was taking a well-deserved break. He knew his boss's hand writing of course, so he knew the instructions he was being given were genuine. Please stop spreading rumors otherwise, and don't contact him again unless it was important. He at least signed off with a Happy Easter.**

"A very happy holiday to you to," James huffed, even with Percy gone he'd still managed to be an irritation to them all with his unhelpfulness.

**The start of the summer term would normally have meant that Harry was training hard for the last Quidditch match of the season.**

"Don't remind me," Sirius groaned like he had a bad stomach ache, missing that sport ever more with all the stressful things they'd been dealing with lately.

**Instead the the approach of the last task was coming, brought up by McGonagall telling him to go down to the Quidditch field tonight at nine.**

"Why?" James narrowed his eyes, with some excitement and some worry he wasn't even sure himself.

"It's a big, obvious place the foreigners can find?" Lily offered, though honestly the Entrance Hall would make more sense if that was so.

"Anybody else wondering why all the events are on the 24th of their month?" Remus asked to try and change the subject.

"To be extra cruel, leaving them at the end of the month," Sirius muttered belligerently.

**Bagman would be there with further instructions.**

"Why did it have to be him?" James huffed, this night getting worse and worse as that's all he wanted, more _paternal_ advice from Bagman.

**At the set time, Harry headed down and met Cedric on the way. He asked if he had any ideas what was coming, and Cedric told that Fleur had been telling him about some tunnel challenge, they'd be looking for treasure.**

"Wonder where she pulled that from?" Remus asked in surprise.

**Harry said he could deal with that, he'd just ask Hagrid to let him borrow a niffler.**

Lily had a little vindictive smile in place as she said, "I think Maxime's making up some tosh, claiming she spoke to Hagrid because that's what she saw him working on."

"If the only reason she ever liked him was because of his dragon help in the beginning, then I'm all the more happy it's been broken up," James scowled.

**They made it down to the stadium, but quickly stopped short when Cedric exclaimed what they'd done to the place!**

Sirius straightened up in agitation at once, his eyes narrowing viciously. Even if he didn't currently like Cedric, he was a Quidditch fan, and on the Quidditch field making that kind of exclamation was not a good thing!

**The once smooth, green field was now jutting with crisscrossing walls in every direction.**

"They didn't!" James spat in disgust.

"How could they," Harry bemoaned, thinking if this was the result of their not being constant practices on it, he'd ask his team to go down there at once even on top of their homework.

**Upon closer inspection, Harry saw they were hedges.**

Then something snaked down Harry's spine, wrapping tight around his lungs and suddenly leaving him breathless with fear. The impact of the third task suddenly being all too real were making spots appear in his line of vision, insisting something truly awful was going to happen in the thick of those hedges, something about him and Cedric...

**Someone called to them from the center of the field, and they noticed the other three waiting.**

**Fleur smiled at Harry's approach.**

"There's the bright side of that task," Sirius said with absolute chipper, still agitated enough about his pitch he didn't notice Harry's internal dilemma. "Fleur doesn't see you as some little kid anymore."

When Harry didn't respond, Sirius just put it down to him being too flustered to say otherwise.

**She'd been doing a lot of that since he'd 'rescued' Gabrielle.**

**Bagman greeted them by exclaiming over the place, saying when the time came Hagrid would have these things twenty feet high! All while bouncing with enthusiasm.**

"When is he ever not?" James huffed.

**Upon correctly reading the looks of the two Hogwarts boys, he quickly promised the place would be put back right once they were done with it.**

**He asked if they could guess what was coming, and after a beat of silence, Krum said it was a maze.**

**Bagman congratulated him at once, saying their last challenge was a straightforward maze to the Triwizard Cup, the first to touch it won.**

"Joyful," Lily sighed without emphasis, her mind already offering up a few horrid plants from Herbology she remembered that she was sure was now going to feature in this thing. All not even seen by Harry until he reached the highest greenhouse levels.

**Fleur asked if the maze was really it?**

**Bagman did add on that Hagrid would be giving a few creatures to make it an extra challenge,**

"Oh just kill me now," Remus blanched in horror at once, anything Hagrid would be providing would leave anyone but the man himself running for the hills.

"Not happening Moony, I'd miss you too much," Sirius sighed as he fidgeted uneasily with the pages, honestly agreeing with his friend anyways.

**plus some spells and enchantments they'd have to get past.**

**They'd be let in in order of their points, so the Hogwarts boys first, then Krum, then Fleur.**

"I guess that's a slight advantage," James sighed absently, he'd honestly been wondering what the point of those points were.

"Really says something about Harry that he's tied for first place," Lily gave her son a warm smile, even as unprepared as he'd been for all of this, he was still managing to hold his own in this competition.

Harry gave her a lackluster smile back he in no way felt.

**They'd all have a fighting chance on the inside, pointing out how fun this would be.**

"I am going to strangle him," James emphasized every word, he couldn't have been more clear if he'd tried how much this bloke was annoying him with his constant enthusiasm for all of this.

**Harry, who had real world experience with the kinds of things Hagrid would be offering, thought fun was the last word he'd use.**

"At least Harry agrees with us," Sirius gave him a wane smile, for the first time noticing Harry wasn't exactly paying too much attention. Still, if he didn't want to speak up, he wasn't going to force him to.

**They were all dismissed, and as Harry turned to leave, Bagman tried to catch up to him.**

All five of them groaned in annoyance at this. Even if it was part of the Tournament, and it really wasn't feeling like that since they hadn't found a single hint he was doing this for the others, it was never not annoying from the man.

**He was beat by Krum tapping Harry on the shoulder.**

"Timing," Remus grinned absently, suddenly as on edge as everyone else what Krum could be up to.

**He asked if he could have a word, and Harry agreed.**

**Bagman offered to wait for Harry, but Harry told him not to bother, he could find the castle on his own.**

"Are you sure?" James eyed his son critically, "because I sometimes get worried about that."

"I'm sure I can ask directions from Krum if not," Harry said back solemnly, the joke losing something in the delivery because he was still so distracted by whatever horrid thing was going to come up in the last task, but trying his hardest to ignore it for now.

**Harry and Krum left the stadium, but Krum did not set a course for the Durmstrang ship. Instead, he walked toward the forest.**

"What's he up to?" Sirius narrowed his eyes at the pages and alternately giving Harry a scrutinizing look.

Harry shrugged without too much concern, and Sirius decided he'd been harping on Harry enough about safety lately, he didn't really think Krum would do something in front of the castle...right?

**They passed Hagrid's and the Beauxbatons carriage before he stopped in the shadows of the forest. Harry asked why, and he said he didn't want to be overheard.**

"That's not ominous at all," James murmured, suddenly right in line with Sirius' thinking.

**When he did stop, he turned to ask Harry what was going on between him and Hermione, still mispronouncing her name.**

All four of those around Harry cracked up laughing, while he glared at nothing in particular. He was just so happy for them thinking this was funny, while he was honestly even more annoyed Krum thought that was as true as the rest of the world.

**Harry had expected something much worse from this set up, just stared for a moment before declaring nothing! It hit him all over again how much taller than him Krum was.**

"You think he'd punch you out if you said otherwise?" Sirius asked in an almost conversational tone.

"I wouldn't have thought he'd really like Hermione that much," Remus returned.

**He promised they were just friends, she wasn't his girlfriend, and never had been.**

"And never will be," Harry added on meaningfully, unable to picture her as anything but a sister.

**Krum pointed out how often she talked about him.**

"Because we're friends," Harry said in exasperation, the memory of telling all of Hogwarts this making him think he was probably being too harsh on Krum as he cracked.

**Harry insisted it was just because they were friends.**

**Harry was finding this all hard to believe that the acclaimed International Quidditch player was looking at him as a rival.**

"Well you certainly are on the field," James said pompously, all of Harry's Quidditch wins swimming to the surface, "it's not that surprising off."

Harry didn't agree, on either front, but wasn't going to argue either.

**Krum struggled to get out one more question, trying to ask if Harry had ever...**

**Harry understood, and instantly said no.**

**Krum finally looked appeased, instead telling Harry he'd seen him during the first task, he was a very good flier.**

Harry blinked in surprise, somehow a world renowned Quidditch player saying that still didn't feel as big as his dad saying that, though both equally went over his head as he still wasn't sure why they thought that.

**Harry thanked him, exchanging the compliment and saying how he'd seen him at the Cup, beginning to ask about that Wronski Feint- but quickly stopped when he spotted movement in the forest behind Krum.**

**Knowing what bad things could be in there, he spun Krum around.**

"Poor guy could be in for some real trouble," Remus agreed at once, suddenly wishing he could shoo the two out of there.

**Krum asked what was wrong, and before either had a chance to do more, a man stumbled out.**

"Err," they muttered in surprise, but it was better than a beast.

**For a moment, Harry didn't recognize him . . . then he realized it was Crouch.**

"It was what now?" Sirius yelped, looking suddenly likely to chuck the book in the flames the moment that name came back up. The residual hatred of what he'd done, or was going to do and not the point, to him leaving Sirius with a nasty curse on the tip of his tongue.

Still, the moment was truly odd enough that he pushed past his own vile at his abrupt entrance and read on to hear why.

**It was clear he was worn from traveling, his robes were ripped and he clearly hadn't washed in days.**

While Lily could not garner up much sympathy for a man who gave people to dementors like it was nothing, she still couldn't help the edge of curiosity in her voice rather than wanting to scream it, "what happened to him?"

"Sounds like he was attacked," James raised an almost triumphant brow, "maybe he was on the grounds snooping around again and something in the forest got him." He did not sound the least bit concerned, if anything the opposite that Crouch had gotten away.

**He didn't even seem to see them, babbling wildly at a nearby tree instead. He now resembled a beggar, and Harry's mind flashed back to a rant Vernon had once given to what he'd like to do to people like this.**

"I have never in my life wanted to hear Vernon's opinion on any subject," Remus scowled hatefully, "but even I won't deny I'd hand Crouch over to Vernon like that." At least Vernon would be inflicting the pain on someone who deserved it.

A few creatures came to the boy's mind of something that could have possibly bitten Crouch to cause him to be so delusional, at least one of them big and nasty enough they hoped Crouch wet himself before he was bitten and somehow managed to escape.

**Krum asked if this was the same judge from their Ministry?**

"Sadly," Lily hissed with disgrace.

**While Harry nodded his answer he edged towards Crouch, who was paying them no mind as he told a nearby tree that once Weatherby was done with that**

That was so unexpected Sirius involuntarily laughed that Crouch was _still_ calling Percy that, which quickly fizzled out as his mind quickly realized he was supposed to be plotting imminent death for the guy.

**he needed to be sending owls to others as well, going into a list of tasks.**

**Harry tried to get his attention, but still the man seemed convinced he was talking to Percy.**

**Harry took another step closer, as Krum asked what was wrong with him?**

"More than I care to list at the moment," James snapped instantly.

"Or did he mean in the moment?" Lily scowled, "because that I have no clue, and no real care."

**Harry began to say he wasn't sure, but instead they should-**

**He was cut off by Crouch coming forward, grabbing a fistful of Harry's robes and dragging them face to face.**

Sirius felt a guttural noise escape his throat in protest of that guy grabbing hold of Harry like that, he was suddenly wishing Padfoot had been on the grounds this night, not only was he owed some payback, but he hated the idea of Harry being out there at this moment in time.

**His eyes still remained unfocused, but now his voice was strained for every word as he begged to see Dumbledore.**

**Harry promised they could to go him, but Crouch didn't even seem to hear him as he insisted, pausing after every word that he'd done something stupid,**

Lily was finally starting to feel a wisp of unease for the man, side along with her hatred of him. She was getting very concerned at his actions, and did not want Harry around him any more than could be helped in case he somehow got worse, like violent.

**he had to tell Dumbledore.**

**Harry tried shouting to emphasize they could do just that if Crouch would just let go.**

**Instead, Crouch asked who Harry was?**

Under any other circumstances, Harry would have laughed, as he loved nothing more than to not be recognized, but as memory of this was being replaced, he'd never found anything less laughable.

**Harry promised he was a student at the school, looking to Krum for some help, who was still hanging as far back as he could.**

"Some backup," Remus grumbled, Krum not exactly endearing himself further to them.

**Crouch asked if he was his?**

**Harry said no even as he had no idea what that meant.**

Harry looked around hopefully, but either they were still too angry at Crouch to consider what he could mean other than a madman's rambling, or they had no idea and Harry wasn't in the mood to ask which.

**He got out one last time he had to warn Dumbledore, before switching back to conversing with Weatherby about how he and his wife and son were due to have tea with Mr. and Mrs. Fudge later that day.**

Sirius shook his head pitifully as he got all that out, unable to decide which he was more maliciously happy for, Crouch's moments where he tried to beg forgiveness from Dumbledore for all the things he'd done, or these moments of delusion where he still seemed convinced he had a good life. Both would snap eventually and he'd turn back into the heartless monster he really was.

**Crouch was now talking fluently to a tree again,**

"There's a sentence I never thought I'd hear," Remus shook his head.

**and Harry was so surprised he didn't even realize he'd been released.**

**Crouch was still babbling on about how proud he was of all twelve of his sons O. W. L. grades.**

Lily bitterly turned that in her mind, wondering just how proud Crouch really was, or if he even cared above the achievement and not the boy himself getting the marks and making his father look good.

**Harry began backing away, telling Krum to stay with him, Harry was going to get Dumbledore since he knew where his office was.**

"I'd just leave him there," Sirius said in no uncertain terms.

Harry gave him a wayward look, but didn't respond. No matter how angry he himself was at the man, he'd never just leave someone in that kind of situation.

**He turned to leave, but Crouch seized hold of him again, this time clinging to his knees as he begged him not to leave him alone! He was back to talking brokenly, every word a struggle as he told how he'd escaped**

Sirius sensed someone was about to interrupt him in confusion, this didn't feel as comical or lording anymore, there was something almost sinister in that wording, but Sirius ignored and didn't let the comment rise nor did he allow himself to stop in confusion until he got it all out.

**had to warn Dumbledore, it was all his fault, Bertha dead his fault, his son all his fault, had to tell Dumbledore that Harry Potter, Dark Lord stronger, Harry Potter...**

Sirius finally looked up, blinking in shock to indicate he was done.

"Did he say he knew Bertha was dead?" Remus narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "why on earth would he know about that? The only ones who should..."

He trailed off, either because it was obvious or he was too appalled to say one of the names was anyone's guess, but James had a much more important question, "what's this about you?"

"Don't know," Harry practically whispered back, hearing the truth in his own words, "nothing good."

Sirius felt chills tracing his skin, he didn't find this nearly as funny or pleasurable at Crouch's expense anymore, the venom had actually dripped right out of his voice in his fearful curiosity to read what Crouch was on about.

**Harry forcibly wrenched himself free this time, telling Krum to stay here with him while he went for Dumbledore.**

**Krum called after his retreating form to hurry.**

"No, he's going to take his bleeding time," James huffed through his nose, starting to feel twitchy at all the bad this could be. Nothing was adding up with this man lately. There was just no way he could really be a Death Eater, but then how else would he know about Bertha? He'd been acting off since the beginning of the Tournament, and it wasn't just them, everyone had been saying so. James honestly wished Harry had stuck around and tried to ask him some of these questions, Crouch seemed out of it enough they may have even gotten an answer.

**Harry made it to the stone gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office and tried to use the password sherbet lemon.**

"Oh crap," Remus winced, clearly Harry didn't know that changed every year, and Harry didn't know the new password.

"Wasn't a bad start pup, but now go for McGonagall," Sirius quickly agreed, then turned back to the book in hopes Harry would do just that.

**When the statue didn't move, Harry yelled at it to move!**

Lily felt a bubble of laughter wanting to erupt up her throat, nothing magical had ever just moved because you shouted at it, but the humor quickly died as she realized how panicky Harry was.

**But nothing at Hogwarts had ever moved just because he shouted at it. Instead he began heading for the staffroom?**

"Even better," Remus agreed, "there's almost always a teacher in there, and just as close as McGonagall's office which she might not be in right now."

**He only made it a few paces away before someone behind him shouted his last name.**

They all startled a bit at Sirius shouting that, but no one rebuked him, too busy hoping Sirius would get a move on and show it was Moody or something, he was the most likely to shout they supposed.

**Harry stumbled to a halt and turned to see Snape coming out of Dumbledore's office.**

"Argh!" James snarled in outrage. "Why is it every single bleeding time something goes wrong around that place, Snape is always the one to show up and make it worse!"

Lily was surprised her first instinct was still to defend, say Snape hadn't done anything wrong yet and instead could just as easily tell Harry the password as any teacher, but the moment was kicked away in seconds as she agreed with James, she had no delusions this was going to go well.

**The statue was already closing behind him as Harry came back, telling desperately that he needed to see Dumbledore, Crouch was down in the forest-**

**Snape cut him off by telling him to stop talking rubbish, what was he talking about?**

"He's not speaking Mermish you imbecile," Remus snapped at once, "pull your arse out of your ears and listen for once."

James had a brief flare of regret Remus wasn't at the castle, again, not only because he knew Harry could have instantly gone to him, but just to be telling Snape something like that.

**Harry half shouted now about Crouch being down there, ill and acting odd, he needed to see Dumbledore!**

**Snape had a cruel smile across his face as he told the headmaster was busy.**

"You have got to be kidding me!" Lily was already half shrieking in frustration. "What about that was funny? Any part of that should have sent a decent teacher running for the Forest while telling you the password so you could get Dumbledore to do the same!"

"You said it yourself dear," Sirius bitterly reminded, "Snape has never been anything decent in his life."

**Harry shouted back he had to see Dumbledore!**

**Snape asked if he was deaf?**

"Clearly you're not hearing him," James seethed back.

**Harry could tell Snape was thoroughly enjoying himself, denying Harry the thing he wanted when he was so panicky.**

Remus had his fingers pressed against his temple to try and suppress his urge to keep shouting about this lunatic, who in Merlin's pants enjoyed watching a child clearly frightened except the most sadistic of people?

**Before the circular argument could continue, Dumbledore appeared.**

"I'm surprised half the castle couldn't hear me shouting and come running," Harry muttered bitterly.

**Harry quickly sidestepped Snape,**

"I'd have just shoved him out of the way," Sirius snapped.

**and again told what was going on.**

**Dumbledore asked no question, but told Harry to lead the way.**

Lily sighed in relief, for all of Dumbledore's ever growing shortcomings, at least the man was still springing into action now.

**They left Snape standing next to the gargoyle and looking twice as ugly.**

James gave a bitter laugh he wished he could indulge in more.

**"He's not acting normally," Harry said, hurrying along beside Dumbledore.**

**Harry gave more details of what all Crouch had been babbling about as they headed down, Dumbledore's pace quickening with every word.**

"He's spryer than you'd expect for a man his age," Remus muttered absently.

**Harry finished by telling he'd left Krum to look after him, which sent Dumbledore into such long strides Harry was running to keep up.**

"Why would he be worried about that?" Lily asked uneasily, starting to feel a little jittery. She didn't particularly like Krum, but why would he be in danger at the moment, which was the only reason she could think of Dumbledore hurrying along even faster?

**No one answered.**

**Harry took the lead as they got close to the spot, finding the place he'd first stopped and calling out for Krum.**

**No one answered.**

Sirius couldn't help the worry starting to creep up in him, suddenly more thankful than he could put into words Harry had run off for Dumbledore instead of the other way around. This was stupid of course, Krum was fine, Crouch was acting like a lunatic and they were going to find him in moments...

**Harry insisted they'd been here!**

Harry bemoaned his life that always, at the most crucial times, he seemed to come across as a lunatic.

**Dumbledore lit his wand tip with Lumos, and came across Krum.**

**After a quick inspection, Dumbledore deduced he was stunned.**

Lily was biting her tongue to stop herself demanding of nothing what was going on. They weren't even dealing with a task right now, yet they were more wound up than if they were. This was by far one of the creepiest things to happen on Hogwarts grounds.

**Harry offered to run for Madam Pomfrey, but Dumbledore told him to stay where he was.**

James honestly disagreed, he'd love nothing more than for Harry to go running into the safety of the castle, he wasn't even sure if he trusted Dumbledore enough anymore to keep Harry's safety in mind with whatever was going on, and just knew one thing for certain. He wished Sirius were there.

**Dumbledore instead cast a spell that sent the ghostly image of a bird flying towards Hagrid's hut.**

The blatant but odd use of whatever magic that was hardly distracted any of them from their scattered thoughts.

**Then he turned his attention back to Krum, using the spell Ennervate to awaken him. He tried to sit up with a start, but Dumbledore kept a hand on his chest and told him to stay down for the moment.**

**Krum told that he was attacked.**

Sirius was so surprised by that, he just sat there for a moment with his mouth flopped open. Harry had to give him a hard nudge to get him to keep going, resisting the temptation himself to wrench the book away and read it.

**That old madman had attacked him!**

Lily had half been convinced Krum must be talking about some other 'he,' because there was just no way he could mean Crouch. For all his horrible faults and deeds, it just didn't feel possible he was actually a Death Eater.

**Hagrid arrived then, his loud footfalls announcing his approach with his crossbow in hand and Fang at his heels.**

"Why's Hagrid there?" James yelped in surprise, not unhappy at his arrival, but the timing.

"You think it was that thing Dumbledore sent?" Remus asked. "A new way to summon someone to you?"

"If so, I kind of like it," Sirius muttered before pushing on and hoping Dumbledore or Hagrid would actually explain it later.

**Dumbledore turned and instructed Hagrid to go get Karkaroff, tell him his student had been attacked. Then to go find Moody-**

**but was cut off by his arrival.**

"Now this one I'm culling bull on," Sirius narrowed his eyes curiously. "Why would he know to come down there?"

"One of his detectors he didn't disable went off?" Remus offered without any real hope, it was still too odd a coincidence.

**He was cursing his leg, saying he'd have been here faster if not for it. Snape had told him what was going on.**

"Now he's lying as well," Remus balked. "There's no way in hell Snape went and told Moody anything."

"I'll worry about Moody later," Lily hissed, trying to wave them all down, "for now let's see the rest of this play out.

**Dumbledore turned to Hagrid and insisted he go get Karkaroff, Hagrid agreeing at once and thundering off.**

**Dumbledore then turned to Moody and told him to start looking for Crouch, which he agreed to at once.**

**The three remained silent until Hagrid and Karkaroff came back, the second demanding to know what was going on?**

"We'd all like to know that," James rolled his eyes sourly.

**Krum told his headmaster, and Karkaroff was instantly outraged a Triwizard judge had done this!**

**Dumbledore tried to say something, but Karkaroff was livid as he called Dumbledore out on this treachery!**

"That's his first conclusion?" Lily looked aghast. "That Dumbledore did this. I've called him a lot of things recently, but I can not see him attacking Krum, or in any way setting this up."

"Can't see Karkaroff himself doing it either, and trying to push blame," James agreed. "Krum should be the last person he'd want to attack for any reason."

**He went into a mired of tyrants about Dumbledore being a two face, going on about how they should be rebuilding old ties instead of everything that had happened this year! Then he spat on the ground at Dumbledore's feet.**

James nor Sirius looked the least bit impressed with this act of defiance. Dumbledore was at the top of their list of someone they needed to have a very heated conversation with, but for all his underhanded and seemingly cruel moves towards Sirius of late, even this still didn't feel in the headmaster's style. They'd give him that much at least.

**In one move, Hagrid seized the front of Karkaroff's furs and slammed him against a tree.**

"Now see, why couldn't he have done that to Vernon?" Remus grinned victoriously. "I'd have loved nothing more than for that first visit to end with Hagrid chucking them all into the sea, the pigtail clearly didn't do any lasting damage."

"Reason number seven why I think Hagrid should be around all the time," Sirius nodded along.

"What are the first six?" Lily giggled.

"I'm compiling a list," he waved her off, "I'll let you know when I'm done."

**Hagrid snarled for an apology, while Dumbledore told Hagrid to put him down.**

"Dumbledore never lets anyone have any fun," James pouted, he rather enjoyed this mental image.

**Hagrid released him at once, Karkaroff falling to the ground in a tangle of twigs and leaves at the trunk.**

Despite the seriousness of Harry's situation, that didn't stop anyone giving a nice laugh at Karkaroff's misfortune.

**Dumbledore told Hagrid to take Harry back to Gryffindor tower now.**

**Hagrid tried to insist he'd rather stick here, but Dumbledore was being firm, turning to Harry that he was to go back to his tower and stay there. Anything else of any importance, even any owls he wanted to send,**

"Hey, leaving me out of the loop like this," Sirius yelped in protest.

Honestly, the others were almost relieved. Now that there was no doubt Harry was out of danger, being with Hagrid and heading back to his tower, they didn't want Sirius anywhere near this. If Harry sent him a letter now, he'd be on the grounds of the castle to investigate before you could finish the first reason of why it was a bad idea.

**could wait.**

**Harry agreed with some unease, wondering how Dumbledore knew he'd already been forming a letter to Sirius in his head.**

"Because Dumbledore is a Legilimens," Remus sighed, "something he doesn't usually use on students, but I guess he made an exception on you to see if you missed any details."

Lily tisked, wishing he'd asked permission.

**Harry followed in Hagrid's wake back to the castle, after he left Fang standing guard over the scene.**

**Hagrid was in a rampage, muttering curses about this whole situation and Karkaroff's take on it. Dumbledore was worried about everything lately and this was no help.**

**Then he turned on Harry, who jumped at being taken aback.**

"So am I," James had jumped slightly at Hagrid turning his attention on Harry. What had he done wrong to deserve this?

**Demanding what he'd been doing down there with a Durmstrang?**

"I think Hagrid's taking Maxime's spurn a little too personally," Remus sighed, "now he hates all the foreign people."

"Though with good reason from that school," Sirius scowled at Harry as well, "I wasn't any happier when you went off with him," still, he smoothed out his face and finished, "but Hagrid is in the wrong this time, Krum wasn't the problem."

Harry rolled his eyes at his godfather, and Hagrid, acting so paranoid when Krum had never done a thing wrong to him.

**Krum could have jinxed him, hadn't Moody taught him anything?**

"Moody isn't exactly one I'd be taking life advice from," Lily shook her head.

"Well he has kept himself alive long enough to be some credibility," James couldn't help but poke back.

"After gaining himself how many enemies?" Lily challenged right back.

James let it drop.

**Harry defended that Krum was alright, they'd just been talking about Hermione.**

**Hagrid vowed he'd be having words with her next.**

"Be afraid for Hermione," Remus said, in almost close to amusement. Cleary Hagrid had taken on an almost paternal roll for all of the kids, which was honestly adorable, the most of which for Hermione. Krum now had Hagrid to fear if things got serious between them.

**None of them should be having anything to do with those foreigners.**

**Harry pointed out he hadn't thought so when he'd been spending time with Maxime.**

"You know why that changed," Sirius looked at Harry in disbelief, "why would you bring that up?"

"My point still stood," Harry defended, "he was just fine with it when it was him."

**Hagrid looked so menacing as he told Harry not to mention her, he actually looked frightening for a moment.**

"I honestly forget how scary he can be," Harry said a little faintly, not used to seeing such a lovable man in an apron look ready to use that crossbow any second. Last time had been his first trip into the Forest, and that hadn't been pleasant either.

**Saying he knew better now and that third task wouldn't be over soon enough. They couldn't trust any of them!**

"That is so depressing," Lily sighed in sympathy for the poor guy.

**Hagrid was in such a bad mood, Harry was relieved to say goodbye to him at the portrait hole. He went inside and at once went to tell his friends what had happened.**

"Least you can tell them," Sirius was still pouting he was being left out of the loop till the very last as he passed the book to Harry.

* * *

*I've mentioned that I would love nickname suggestions, now you know why. The ones I last used are the ones I like most, but really they're not sitting right with me as they just don't seem to fit the pattern. The Marauders gave themselves nicknames based on the actual animal's parts, whereas Roan and Fleetfoot just don't fit the pattern as well...

 _Finally_ saw Fantastic Beasts, just in time to further appreciate the adorableness of the nifflers in this chapter. I know I've failed as a fan, especially a Hufflepuff at that, by not having seen it long before now but stupid college life crap stopped me. Still, the movie was as beautiful and wonderful as everything with the HP name attached to it, especially for me as I freaked out every five seconds at getting to see all of those beautiful creatures. Let me know which one was your favorite from the movie! Mine was the occamy, kept whispering I want one under my breath in the theater and pissing off those around me, most beautiful gorgeous thing I've ever seen!

Also let me know what beast's you're hoping to see in the following movies, my fingers are crossed for a Horned Serpent like my Ilvermonry house!

In order of the nicknames appearing, suggested by:

MelodyGirl239- Willow/ Petal

MelodyGirl239/ Shakira94- Bambi


	30. THE DREAM

Extra update this week! I'm trying to finish by New Years, so hopefully this'll happen more and more! I'm going to try and get this to be my new schedule, Sunday/ Wednesday!

I still don't say thank you all enough for making this fic a possibility, you guys don't understand how much you give me to help me keep going!

To Peyton: Yep, starting this week, I've only got one class left and it's a final I don't even have to study for.

To Frida: I'm deeply considering the nickname since I have now read the fic it's attached to, and it fits. I'm also just as deeply flattered for your review, I promise outside of a computer screen I'm just as shy and you'd be lucky to get more than two words out of me. Thank you!

* * *

Before Harry could get started, Sirius turned pouting eyes on Lily, who was already excusing herself for the kitchen. She came back not too long later, with no food in sight.

"I set something to bake, it'll be done by the time we are with this chapter," she smiled pleasantly at the fact that she was clearly annoying Sirius. In truth, she'd made the heartiest meal she could think of, she still couldn't shake the image from her mind Sirius was losing weight by the minute.

Sirius didn't argue with her, but instead sat back in his seat with mutiny while Harry began.

**Hermione was laying out the groundwork for the end results, ether Crouch attacked Krum, or someone attacked them both.**

"So, I wonder what you guys are discussing." James chuckled in surprise.

"You know, I'm surprised at you though Harry," Remus turned to him. "Looking back, you sort of just ran off to do as you were told, didn't it occur to you to go to Hagrid first? He was closer?"*

Harry opened, then just as quickly closed his mouth, that was an obvious enough answer.

"Don't be like that Remus," Lily scolded at once with a sigh, "it's easy to think of those things after the fact, as you just did."

He shrugged in acknowledgment even if he was still puzzled at Harry for it. Clearly the act of doing what he was told by the Dursleys still hadn't really ever left him, or he trusted Dumbledore more than Hagrid, either way it was odd to him.

**Ron was insisting Crouch was the true criminal here, he'd sent Harry to get Dumbledore so he could run.**

"While I'd love for him to get sent to a very certain place for pulling a stunt like that," Sirius declared with a nasty look in place, "it fails me to see why he'd do that. Why come all the way up to the school just to pull a stunt like that?"

"You got me," Lily sighed, "the whole situation feels like something out of a murder mystery novel, and I always hate reading those."

**Harry disagreed, saying Crouch had looked too weak to be pulling stunts like that, then offering himself a Disapparition.**

**Hermione said, for the umpteenth time, you couldn't do that on Hogwarts grounds!**

"You might have to say it a few more times, just to make sure he got it," James smirked at Harry's eye roll.

**Ron tackled a new theory, that Krum attacked Crouch, and then stunned himself.**

Remus burst out laughing at this level of enthusiasm from him trying to figure this out, and though he could poke many holes in that, he couldn't deny Ron's spirit.

**Hermione's cool response was to remind that Crouch had just evaporated then?**

"How come we're not speculating on this?" Sirius pouted, "I've got a few ideas-"

"No Sirius," Lily said at once. "I want as little to do with that man as possible, and having to listen to what happened to him might satisfy you, but it'll only infuriate me more having to hear his name."

"It really won't bother you to at least try to guess what happened?" Remus asked her in surprise.

"I honestly couldn't care less what did, no matter what it was." She stated in no uncertain terms. "If you two want to chat about it later, leave me out of it."

Sirius grumbled at her being a killjoy, but James more than agreed with his wife on this one and waved Harry on.

**It was the crack of dawn, and the three of them had never gone to bed. Instead they were on their way up to the Owlery to send a note of all this to Sirius.**

"About time," Sirius' pouting increased, he couldn't believe how long it took Harry to get around to that, he should have used his cloak and done it without Dumbledore's say so!

Everyone disagreed with Sirius about that though, now that Harry was one hundred percent away from that, they didn't want Sirius anywhere near it either.

**They were all puffy-eyed from exhaustion having stayed up all night discussing the events.**

"Of all the fun, late night conversations you could have been having," James groaned. Would it kill his son to have a fun conversation once in a while like a normal kid?

**Hermione was coaching Harry to give them a full account one more time.**

**When Harry got the part about Crouch saying everything was all his fault, he'd even brought up his own son, Hermione agreed that was Crouch's fault.**

Harry made a testy noise of agreement along with everyone else, no one was cutting Crouch any slack in here.

**Ron asked for a recount of the You-Know-Who part.**

**Harry repeated all the mention was, that he was getting stronger.**

"Because that's always encouraging," James moaned, letting his head fall back against the cushions as the mention of Voldemort always caused such a horrid stirring in him lately even more than it had before his adult son fell into his living room. Now all he could picture was someone who was once a brother making that possible, when Voldemort was the reason he couldn't be there for his son! How on earth had Pettigrew ever worked out that this was okay, that he could continue going along with it? He tried to force himself to keep listening in on Harry, those kinds of questions kept plaguing him in what little time he actually spent asleep, he refused to dwell on it longer than he could.

**Ron tried to force some confidence into his voice that this was the speaking's of a madman**

"Here's to hope!" Sirius mock raised a glass, which he honestly wished was filled right now.

**but Harry corrected he'd spoken of Voldemort when he was in his saner moments. Ron winced as always at the use of the real name.**

"You been saying that nearly four years and he still flinches?" Remus asked in surprise.

"As well as Hermione," Harry agreed.

"I wish you'd start referring to him as Riddle," James muttered sullenly, this wasn't helping him feel any better, but he'd never miss an opportunity to mock either. "Be a nice knock to his ego and something everyone might catch on."

Harry honestly never thought about why he hadn't, he supposed the Riddle he met down in the Chamber had just seemed like such a wholly other person it was hard to put that together with the monster who had murdered his parents and so calling him Voldemort somehow made that make more sense.

**Harry bitterly put in that if Snape hadn't held him up, they could know what had really happened.**

"I absolutely believe that," Sirius snarled.

"Still can't believe anyone so cruel can be allowed in the school," James agreed bitterly.

Lily was still more pissed than anything Snape even still had his job after what he'd done to Remus last year, but this more than anything should have gotten him sacked! What if someone had really been hurt, and he'd just stood in the way and taunted Harry? What teacher could actually get away with that even if they had the audacity to do it?

**Harry mockingly quoted Snape as he'd told of what rubbish his story was, and Harry followed up with demanding why Snape hadn't just moved.**

"The man would murder his own child if he thought it would upset you," Sirius barked.

Remus gave him a sideways look for that disgusting metaphor, but Sirius raised a brow back to emphasize he wasn't taking it back. Not like anyone would get near that slimy little thing anyways to make it true.

**Ron speculated that what if he'd done it all on purpose, what if he'd actually gotten down to the Forest before Harry and Dumbledore had made it?**

"I really don't see how," James face puckered with thought. "Dumbledore appeared and you two made a straight beeline there. Unless he jumped out the window and flew..." he trailed off with a shake of his head, still admiring Ron for keeping at this.

**Harry said it wasn't possible unless he could turn into a bat.**

"Would not put that past him," Sirius huffed.

**Ron muttered he would not put that past him.**

Sirius beamed and even Remus chuckled a bit at that one.

**Hermione voiced that they needed to go see Moody, to see if he'd found Crouch or anything after they'd all left.**

**Harry agreed it should have been easy for him if he had the Map.**

"Ture that," James nodded along.

"Hey, you think that's how he knew to come down in the first place?" Remus' eyes lit with understanding. "He was lying about Snape telling him, I can't believe otherwise, but maybe he hasn't told Dumbledore about the Map and he made that up on the spot."

"Why wouldn't he tell Dumbledore about the map?" Lily asked in surprise.

"It's on loan from Harry," Sirius reminded forcefully, he'd give that old auror hell if anything was said otherwise, "it's not his to tell about, Moody's respecting that while he's using it."

Nobody disagreed with him, though Harry could still feel a little niggle in him telling him that wasn't really everything.

**Ron reminded it only showed up to the school's boundaries, so if-**

**He was cut off by Hermione shushing him as two more voices approached talking about blackmail.**

"What on earth are these folks up to?" James couldn't help but smile in surprise.

"You lot spent way too much time getting blackmail on everyone in the castle," Lily grumbled.

"We did no such thing," Sirius said at once on reflex.

"We were merely keeping an ear out for certain rumors," James added on from old habits, his eyes flickering to Remus and away, "and just happened to come across other things on the way."

All of the boys felt an odd twitch possess them as they realized who should have finished that old joke, what his line would have been less than a week ago and how much they'd all missed having him around. Remus didn't know how he felt about it, he didn't know how the other two would feel about it, but the nasty lingering silence had to feel worse than him finishing instead, "and we only put it to good use."

James ruffled up his hair in unease and Sirius quickly forced a smile that looked almost painful, and Harry quickly read past the moment.

**The other told that they'd tried the polite way, now it was time to play dirty unless their blackmailed target wanted them to get the Ministry involved.**

The three Marauders had gotten so distracted by their own problem they'd almost forgotten what had started the mess, and weren't nearly as entertained as they knew they should have been by listening to this.

**The first was still insisting it was the act of blackmail!**

**The second was just saying how the complaining would stop once they're payoff came in, when Fred and George walked into view.**

"You said what now?" Lily balked, finally dragging worried eyes off her husband to land on Harry.

Harry was blinking down at the pages in shock, some wire in his brain going crazy as he knew he was finally getting to the bottom of how odd Fred and George had been acting all year!

Either the boys were still distracted by their own problem and were only half listening, or too stunned to speak, Harry quickly read out the exchange to silence.

**Both parties stayed frozen, until Ron and Fred spoke at once of what the other was doing here?**

"Oh lookie, now they're even mimicking each other in the books," Sirius said with a forced smile.

**Harry and George responded in unison of sending a letter.**

James honestly cracked a grin, egging Harry on and hoping this would continue.

**While Hermione and Fred pointed out what time it was.**

Now all five of them were giggling, there had never been a better timing for that release.

**Fred broke the train first, forcing a smile and saying he wouldn't ask them, if they didn't ask.**

**He was holding a sealed letter, but whoever it was written for Harry didn't get a chance to read. Whether accidentally or not, George shifted just enough that the words were covered.**

"On purpose," the other four said at once.

"Those boys have far too much experience by now to at least try otherwise," Lily told.

**Fred tried to wave them out the door, but Ron asked who they were blackmailing?**

"Blunt as a brick to the face," James beamed after his own laughing fit.

**The twins smile vanished at once, before George played it off as a joke.**

**Ron insisted it hadn't sounded that way, then the twins exchanged a glance.**

"These two are doing remarkably poor at this," Remus looked so disappointed.

"I know, you'd really think they'd learned diversionary tactics by now," Sirius nodded furiously, "change the topic to the most outlandish thing they can until they can slip away."

"You think that would work on their brother?" Lily asked, "Especially one as stubborn as Ron?"

"Worth a shot," James shrugged.

"Better than what they're doing, which is nothing," Remus agreed.

**Fred abruptly switched to violence, telling Ron to let it go or he'd take his nose off.**

"Oh, threats, that works much better," James rolled his eyes.

"Especially as we've never once seen them carry through on them," Sirius sighed in disappointment, he'd had such high hopes for these twins, yet they couldn't even evade their own brother.

"What are you lot trying to protect the twins for anyways," Harry grumbled in annoyance as a twitching continued just behind his eye. "You want to know what they're up to just as much as me."

"True," Lily instantly agreed.

"But we'd be remiss not to pass on our wisdom," James finished obviously.

Harry fought down the urge to point out the twins weren't here to be receiving this, nor did Harry have much use for it, but simply decided to ignore them.

**Ron insisted this was his business if there was blackmail involved, this sounded like serious trouble.**

"No one could be in as much trouble as I am," Sirius said instantly.

"That one was actually true," James nodded along, "I'm not even mad at you for that one."

"Miracles do happen," Remus smirked.

**George insisted he'd been joking! Clearly thinking they'd argued long enough, he took the letter from his brother, tied it to the nearest owl, and told Ron he was starting to sound like Percy. If he kept acting this way, he was headed for a prefect.**

The other's made noises of agitation that the twins were brushing this off, this really had carried on long enough it wasn't funny anymore and actually had verged into honest worry of what those two were up to. No one noticed a funny little smile on Harry's face for George's comment.

**Ron snapped back that would never happen!**

Harry couldn't stop a surprised bit of laughter even if he had no idea where it came from, though this did draw Remus' attention as he pouted, "and what's so funny? You going to stop hanging around Ron if he does become one?"

Harry rolled his eyes at the joke, shrugging and saying, "don't know, just imagining what the twins would really say if it did happen I guess."

**George pitched the owl out of the tower as he concluded for Ron to stop poking his nose where it belonged then.**

**They left as quickly as they'd come.**

**Hermione whispered anyways if they could have any news to do with Crouch?**

"Way," James drew the word out dramatically, "off topic. There's no way they should even have a clue Crouch was on school grounds unless you lot have mentioned it."

Harry shook his head no, it had gone without saying in his opinion that they hadn't exactly spread this story around.

"It does still boggle the mind what they are doing," Sirius sighed, "it's been going on for ages."

"And escalating," Lily agreed, fear still lacing her tones.

**Harry said no at once, they'd never get into something so serious and not tell someone.**

"Well of course you'd tell me," Sirius gave Harry as wide eyed a stare as he could, "why would you do anything else?"

It boggled all of their minds how Harry still laughed at this.

**Ron didn't looked as convinced, sharing how they'd been going on about needing money for their joke shop, they'd talked about it all the time when, ah well-**

**Harry supplied for him, when he and Ron hadn't been talking.**

"Much quieter and boring times," Harry added on when he saw how agitated they all got at the reminder. They'd clearly forgiven Ron for it, but it didn't stop them being annoyed when it was brought back up.

**Hermione still wasn't convinced they'd go as far as blackmail.**

**Ron insisted they were really into this joke shop, whereas before Ron had just thought they were doing it to annoy their Mum.**

"I never thought that for a second!" Sirius yelped indignantly.

**They only had a year of school left and were really looking for some ways to make gold.**

"But, they already have it, don't they?" James struggled to remember back, "I don't remember how much exactly, but they put a huge price up for that bet of the World Cup, and earned it back double. Bagman paid them back, so unless they've already wasted that away and are trying to get more..." he trailed off with a frown still in place.

"You think they're trying to blackmail Bagman?" Sirius asked in concern. "Trying to convince him to give them more so they can keep going?"

"It would explain why they keep hounding him as much as he is to Harry," Remus agreed uneasily.

Lily was biting at her lip, still wanting to believe the twins would never actually do this, but it was getting hard to come up with alternatives.

Harry was starting to look a little green around the edges, he was utterly convinced they were on the right track with this...but something was wrong, or backwards, or- he forced his mind to cut off before the ache in his head developed further.

**Hermione still didn't think they'd do anything like break the law for gold.**

None of them were any kind of happy that they couldn't one hundred percent say no to that. They wouldn't claim to know the twins well enough, and well, blackmail wasn't a happy start to the conversation.

**Ron wasn't as convinced, saying they broke rules all the time.**

"There's a difference between school rules and the actual law," Lily groaned, more for the Marauders benefit than anyone else's, who all blatantly ignored her.

**Hermione insisted this was different! They could get a lot worse than detention for this! Maybe they should tell Percy-**

"Ouch!" Sirius jumped like he'd been set aflame. "Merlin Hermione, have you no shame, setting those brothers against each other like that!"

"Leave the twins to do their own thing, and they're own consequences," Lily agreed, "Telling on them won't make anything better."

Harry was surprised at his mother actually agreeing with these boys, as often as she tried to scold them, but then he reflected how despite her disapproval of it, she hadn't gone and turned them in for their illegal animagus status either.

**Ron told her she was mad telling Percy! He'd do a Crouch and turn them in.**

"I, honestly think I believe that," James shivered, "and in no way want to dwell on it."

"Blackmail isn't bad enough to get you a stint in Azkaban," Lily barely got the word out without flushing in anger all over again and throwing a protective look to Sirius, "they'd be severely fined for it, maybe put on watch for a while to make sure they didn't try again."

"Moving on," Remus groaned, honestly still clinging to the hope that Percy wouldn't do any such thing at all.

**There was a shifty silence for a moment before Ron insisted they go get breakfast.**

**Hermione tried to say they should go see Moody first, but Harry pointed out it would be bad to try at this hour, he'd probably attack them in his sleep.**

"I believe that," Sirius instantly agreed, trying to force a smile in place at a topic switch. "Who wants to bet he's got his office booby trapped with trip wires to send people to Iceland if they so much as put a toe in there without his knowing."

"Stop exaggerating Sirius," Lily sighed, already growing weary of this chapter and looking forward to lunch just to get a momentary break from his commentary.

**Instead he said they'd wait until their break.**

**History of Magic was usually torturously slow, but even though Harry kept checking Ron's watch to be sure, time seemed to move twice as slow as usual**

"I'm sure Ron just loved sharing his arm with you all lesson," James chuckled.

**All three of them were exhausted from their sleepless night and would have happily started snoozing,**

"I see no reason why you didn't," Remus shrugged, "I know I was guilty of that on several occasions."

"And Binns never said a word, no matter how loud he snored," Sirius smirked.

**even Hermione wasn't taking her usual notes, but was sitting with her head on her hand, gazing at Professor Binns with her eyes out of focus.**

Sirius let out a wild gasp of shock, tearing the book away and holding it up to the light and declaring, "What nonsense is this! Say it ain't so, we've all been duped, there's no way this is real!"

Everyone was too busy laughing as Harry tried to wrestle the book back away with a grin in place to say anything.

**When the bell did ring, they sprinted off to find Moody just leaving his office, and he looked in as bad a shape as them. His normal eye half sagging with sleep, giving his face an even more lopsided appearance than usual.**

"I just realized, he literally always sleeps with one eye open," Remus raised a curious brow.

"He's an artist's nightmare to draw," Sirius chuckled, remembering a few of James rants when he tried to sketch someone and their eyes came out lopsided, "all those disproportionate features, no one would ever believe the drawing wasn't abstract."

James gave an agreeable laugh he didn't really feel, he was still very weirded out trying to picture the whole thing and had no want to take Sirius' joke as a challenge as he normally would have.

**He stood back to let them into his empty classroom, limped in after them, and closed the door.**

**Harry called for his attention, and when Moody spotted them, he waited until the corridor was clear before inviting them inside.**

"Well, we didn't transport to Iceland," Harry reminded Sirius.

"I said if you snuck in there," Sirius emphasized, "keep up Harry."

**Harry asked if they'd found Crouch, and when receiving a no, asked if he'd used the Map?**

**Moody said of course he had, he'd summoned it to him on the grounds when Dumbledore sent him off looking.**

"Well there goes our idea of how he even knew to come down," Remus groaned in frustration. "I can't believe he'd be so careless as to both be looking, and then not grabbing when he left. It's too much of an oversight to him."

"Maybe Harry will ask again how he knew to come down," Lily pacified.

**Ron again suggested he Disapparated, only for Hermione to say in exasperation that wasn't possible!**

**Then she turned to Moody and said there are other ways he could have disappeared though.**

**Moody watched her steadily as he said she'd make quite the Auror,**

"Nah, can't picture it," Sirius shook his head. "She still panics a little too easily."

"You're never going to let that troll thing go," Harry rolled his eyes at him.

"Or the Devil's Snare," James agreed.

**with a mind like hers.**

"I'll give that one though," Lily shook her head, "Hermione's going to go great places, wouldn't surprise me if she shot up the Ministry ladder faster than Percy, became the youngest head of whatever department she chose."

Harry had a kind smile in place, knowing he had no clue what the real answer was, but very assured his mother was right.

**Hermione flushed with pleasure while Harry told Moody that the Map even showed those who were invisible, so Crouch must have left the grounds.**

**Hermione still questioned if he'd done it himself, or someone forced him to.**

"He was acting to out of it for it to be the first, I can't believe anyone's that good an actor. I'm, going with the second?" Remus still managed to make it a question more than a statement, there was just too much weirdness around this and they had no clue what it could be connected to. They're top suspects would have been Snape or Karkaroff, but both had some pretty good alibis, so they had absolutely nothing to work with.

**Ron gave the suggestion that someone could have pulled him onto a broom and flown away,**

"Now that's a fair theory," James eyes lit with excitement. "Actually I quite like it, the more I'm thinking. Sneak attack on Krum who wouldn't have seen it coming, and the way Crouch was going on, did anyone else get the feeling he was being held against his will or something? I believe he mentioned the word escaped. This mystery person would have been pursuing him."

"So, who then?" Sirius insisted. "Must be a Death Eater," his face twitched with hatred but he kept going, "so is Voldemort still recruiting, and Crouch was one of his targets? Crouch would know where a ton of Death Eaters were, I'll bet he keeps a list of people he thinks are some and where they are from when they'd have gotten off at some point or another."

While this was looking promising, Harry was starting to feel a little sick to his stomach and didn't feel like indulging them as much as usual, so he asked if he could go on and they could keep speculating later.

**looking hopefully at Moody as if he too wanted to be told he had the makings of an Auror.**

"Poor Ron," James muttered absently.

**Moody agreed they weren't ruling out a kidnaping.**

**Ron asked if it was possible he was somewhere in Hogsmeade?**

"Don't go suggesting that!" James said so sharply it made everyone else jump. "Sirius is hanging around there, I don't want Moody anywhere closer to the area than he has to be."

"Alright, breathe Prongs," Sirius pacified at once, his eyes were still a little too dark. "You know Ron didn't mean anything by it, Moody doesn't know about Padfoot, and I want Crouch found, so it was sound enough."

James did not look appeased enough to take it back.

**Moody agreed he could be anywhere that wasn't here.**

Harry's stomach ache took a nasty turn, whether heading up or down he wasn't sure, but it didn't take much to figure out that meant something to him, something _bad._

**Moody switched then to telling he'd heard of their previous detective work, and he didn't want to hear of it this time. He and Dumbledore were working this, Harry needed to stay focused on his third task.**

**Harry asked what he meant.**

"Do you have very many other numbered tasks we should be concerned about?" Lily asked in surprise.

"It kind of slipped my mind after the whole Crouch thing," Harry admitted sheepishly.

**Then his mind caught up, and Harry realized he hadn't thought about that since he'd left the field with Krum.**

"Honestly can't blame you though," James shrugged, "this was plenty distracting."

**Moody told Harry that he'd heard of some of Potters previous exploits and this last task should be easy enough for him compared to those challenges about the Stone.**

"I still swear on my wand that was too easy for a bunch of first years," Lily grumbled hatefully, that had been one of her first problems with Dumbledore, and it had only gotten worse.

"Moody's got a point though," Remus said fairly, "Harry does have some practice with this, this task sounds at least doable for him."

"Joyful," James deadpanned, "you'll excuse me if I'm not a bundle of joy he's still in there."

Remus rolled his eyes at them but stopped arguing.

**Ron quickly said he and Hermione had helped him along.**

"And there's that," Sirius nodded along, "Harry did get help through the majority of those things, he really only caught that key from Flitwick."

"And stopped Voldemort," Harry reminded with some unease, the act of having second hand killed Quirrell still giving him nightmares sometimes.

"Not trying to forget that exactly," James promised, "but it's not exactly a fun reminder."

**He pulled out his hip flask then and took a large swig of it as his magical eye kept on them.**

Harry wondered why every time that hip flask was mentioned he felt his gut tightening up. Maybe he was regretting not having ever gotten one of his own?

**Moody grinned at Ron, telling him to stick by that and Potter, could never have too many eyes on him.**

"As normally I'm not out of their company," Harry rolled his eyes at this display of paranoia, "I don't see that being a problem."

**Sirius sent their owl back the very next morning.**

"So I'm guessing these caves are going to be a permanent thing," James was actually smiling in relief, while he'd been against the idea originally, he couldn't deny he liked the idea of Sirius' quick replies.

"Why did it still take you a whole day?" Remus asked in surprise, "should have been able to reply in hours."

"I'm probably not inside all that much," Sirius shrugged, he liked to imagine he was reliving old memories by snooping around Hogsmeade and the Forest.

**Hermione only delayed his reading it by doing a quick search of her copy of the Daily Prophet and informing them there was no new information before Harry read out.**

**It did not start happy, with Sirius scolding Harry for going off with Krum.**

"Wow Padfoot," James raised a brow at his friend that Sirius couldn't quite interpret. It made him uneasy, since he could usually read James in an instant and go along, but this time he honestly wasn't sure if he was being mocked, or if James was being jealous again that he was scolding Harry.

Sirius opened, then closed his mouth since he wasn't sure which way he was supposed to be talking, but Harry had mostly ignored the pair, reading on with an agitated look in place for how this had started.

**He wanted a swear by return of this owl Harry would not be going at night again.**

"Yes sir," Harry told him tartly, some residual shock that anyone even cared that much to tell him to do otherwise not putting enough force behind the sarcasm.

Sirius was starting to look flustered now, he wasn't used to being so wrong-footed and now both of them were giving him a spin.

**There was somebody at Hogwarts trying to hurt Harry, and it was obvious someone stopped Crouch from seeing Dumbledore feet away from Harry, he could have been killed.**

"Aww," Lily couldn't help but coo, clearly fixing to follow that up with a thank you for Sirius acting like an adult, while Remus pantomimed while she wasn't looking about him being whipped; clearly getting his revenge for all the times Sirius had teased him of this advice previously.

"I'm going to strangle the lot of you!" Sirius threatened as he hit his wits end.

**Harry's name had not been in that Goblet by accident, someone was trying to hurt him and this task was their last chance. Stay in the company of Ron and Hermione, and do not leave Gryffindor Tower after hours. Stay focused on the third task and start practicing Stunning and Disarming jinxes, as well as hexes. Keep his nose out of whatever Crouch was doing and keep his head down. He'd be waiting for that promise of not going out.**

**He didn't even sign off as Snuffles, but Sirius.**

Harry finished and looked up at his Godfather expectantly, though Sirius had no clue what he was wanting. "What? You waiting for me to apologize? That was sound advice."

"You just agreed with me at the end of the last chapter Hagrid was overreacting," Harry rolled his eyes at him, "I figured you'd do it again for yourself."

"I'll apologize when you admit you weren't thinking," Sirius shot back. "It was foolhardy even if Krum wasn't the problem, you haven't once this year actually acted like your life's been threatened."

"That's rich coming from you," Harry scowled back, "since you won't admit for a second how stupid and dangerous it is to even be in the country."

"I'm getting scared," Lily whispered to Remus as the two kept sniping at each other.

"Harry's certainly growing more and more outspoken about being told what to do the longer this drags on," Remus nodded along, grimacing slightly as he reminded, "but to be fair, no one's ever really earned the right to tell him what to do. Aside from the teachers at Hogwarts, Harry's never exactly had a good role model for authority, Sirius included."

It hurt in the worst way for the mother to be reminded of this, but she conceded the point.

James had been watching on in honest bemusement as Harry and Sirius kept trying to tell each other what idiots the other was being, but finally he cut in, "alright, you're both idiots, can we move on."

"Hey!" Harry and Sirius yelped at the same time, but then they exchanged a grin for that and Harry decided to let it go.

**Harry was instantly insulted that Sirius was telling him off for being out of bounds after everything he'd ever done.**

Harry gave Sirius an extra look that his point had been said twice, which Sirius acknowledge in the most adult way possible, sticking his tongue out at him and muttering petulantly about how different that was.

**Hermione reminded he was just worried, and Harry needed to listen to him.**

**Harry insisted no one had tried to attack him all year, no one had done anything.**

"Which, if you think about it, is the weird part," Remus acknowledged.

He winced when he got some nasty looks for that, but Harry defended, "well he is right. So far it's just been the dragon and some grindylows. So unless someone is hoping I'd gone out with these tasks, it's not exactly been that bad." He finished with an absent minded frown on his face he didn't even seem to realize was there for his own saying this.

He did not get any pleased responses from anyone for pointing this out, nor did he himself feel much better for the reminder. Something about this third task, it was going to be a big game changer, the closer it got the more sure he was of that.

**Hermione pointed out the Goblet of Fire, someone had put his name in there for a reason and maybe they'd just been biding their time till now.**

They all shivered at that, Harry hardest of all as he heard some color of truth in what she'd said.

**Harry insisted that even if Sirius was right,**

"I can see how well you took to Snuffles," Sirius gave a half hearted smirk.

Harry did give a sheepish shrug for that, admitting he had been terrible about that one, Hermione and Ron were much better at remembering.

**and the person who attacked attacked Crouch and Krum had been right by him, then clearly Harry wasn't the target. They'd waited until he'd left to do anything.**

"I think that's giving the kidnappers too much credit," James shuddered at the thought. "They must have just caught up at the best opportune time when you weren't there."

"Still," Remus sighed, "the timing of it all really isn't feeling much better."

**Hermione shot back they couldn't make it look like accidental murder in front of the forest.**

"She's just sunshine and rainbows lately," Lily scowled in response to that statement.

**Harry insisted it could have been done, someone could have made it look like he and Krum and dulled to death.**

"You are making some great points," Sirius acknowledged, the only apology Harry was going to get for that letter.

**Hermione was getting desperate as she agreed she didn't understand this, but Moody and Sirius were right,**

"No one sticks with Snuffles for long," Remus forced a laugh.

"That's your fault Moony," Sirius smirked, "you need to come up with more obscure nicknames."

**he needed to be prepared for this last task. And he needed to send that letter to Sirius promising he wasn't going to be sneaking around.**

"Pretty sure that owl's flown off by now," James shrugged, "so you've already not done as told, and you'll have to grab a new one."

"You're just full of helpful advice," Harry grumbled.

**The Hogwarts grounds never looked more inviting than when Harry had to stay indoors.**

Harry looked all the more disgruntled at this happening to him at the end of the semester, again! He wanted to ask Sirius if he was happy with himself this time, but that comment just felt too vicious, he didn't want to bring up last year.

**For the next few days he spent all of his free time either in the library with Hermione and Ron,**

"At some point, I think you three forgot you were Gryffindor's," Remus looked on in pity for Harry, "and you're trying to convince Pince to let you start a new house in the library."

"You're certainly in there enough," James sighed.

**looking up spells they could practice in empty classrooms.**

**Harry was practicing his Stunning Spell.**

"You would think it would be easier than Petrificus Totalus," Harry sighed, "the body seizes up and then falls, Stupify just makes you fall on the spot."

"It takes much longer to wear off without Ennervate though, so there's more power behind a Stunners magic," Remus told. "Petrificus Totalus will wear off in half the time."

"Trust him on this," Sirius muttered in disgust, "takes nearly an hour for a stunner to go away."

Harry sadly remembered Sirius telling him about the time Snape had managed to stun him and leave him behind a broom shed, so he didn't question the experience.

**The trouble was that practicing it involved certain sacrifices on Ron and Hermione's part.**

"Those poor kids," Lily winced in pity.

"There's really no other way to learn though," Remus shrugged without remorse, "sadly they just don't know about embedding cushioning charms on the floor for this particular lesson."

"There's no better way than to practice on a moving target," James agreed.

**Ron suggested trying this on Mrs. Norris,**

"I would not recommend it," Sirius said instantly. "Filch will know, and he will not wait for permission to gut you."

"Speaking from more experience?" Harry asked wearily.

"Thankfully not me," Sirius said with the height of innocence, "but I did hear a rumor of some Hufflepuff taking revenge on Filch out on his cat, poor kid was never seen alive again."

Harry had no clue how much truth was being put in this, but he was laughing at Sirius again and he didn't want to ask.

**after his fifth time in a row landing on the floor. If they didn't want to use the cat, then Harry could at least try Dobby, he'd do it happily.**

"Now why didn't I think of that?" Sirius theatrically clapped his forehead, "do you realize how much better I could have felt any number of times if I'd just summoned Kreature to me and cursed him!"

"Let's just be thankful it never occurred to you," Remus said quickly as Lily gave him a nasty look for that.

**He insisted he wasn't complaining,**

"Well offering up alternatives isn't complaining per say," James agreed.

**while rubbing at his side.**

"But honestly I don't blame Ron for complaining," James smiled sadly, "at least he's being a trooper and allowing it to be done to him, I think that involves a little moaning when he lands."

**Hermione pointed out he kept missing the pillows she'd laid out for him to land on. He should try falling backwards.**

"Did she just try to tell a stunned person were to fall?" Lily giggled in surprise. "I don't think even Hermione could manage that."

**Ron told her to take a try and see how she did.**

**Hermione decided it was time Harry moved on from that spell.**

Causing them all to laugh, clearly Hermione didn't want her turn any time soon.

**There was no point practicing Disarming, he'd been able to do that one for a while.**

"Always with impressive results," the boys laughter doubled even more as Lily said that, though taking a minute for her to realize the last time Harry had done that, and admitted a bit of a giggle escaped her as well.

**Instead she wanted to try out this Impediment Curse, which slowed things down.**

"I enjoyed the recreational uses of that spell," Sirius got a lazy grin. "It's the best thing to throw something at someone, using the Impediment Curse on it, and watch them freak out and dive for cover as something went towards them in slow motion."

"Thankfully that joke did wear off fast enough," James chuckled.

"But the looks on their faces were priceless," Remus snickered.

**The bell rang before they could try, and Hermione promised to see them at dinner as she ran for her Arithmancy class while the boys went for Divination.**

No one exactly looked excited for this, but they were hoping for a few more laughs to crop up so no one protested either. Harry was the only one who didn't seem to be looking forward to this, the ghost of his scar prickling across his forehead as foreboding as it could get.

**The sun was still gleaming in the sky as they went up the spiral stairs, and Ron groaned how hot it was going to be in the room, Trelawney never put out that fire.**

"Ergh," they winced in sympathy for that heat stroke waiting to happen.

**Ron was right, the room was a sauna in the thick curtained room with the fireplace crackling as high as ever. Harry took his usual seat next to the shadows and pried open a window while the teacher wasn't watching so that a nice breeze could at least blow in on him.**

"There's my ingenuity shining through," James beamed at his son.

"Yes," Lily rolled her eyes at him, "I'm so sure only you could have the power of knowledge in opening a window on a hot day."

"Don't be jealous our son got everything from me," James teased back.

**Trelawney called attention as she took her seat, saying today they would be focusing on the planet Mars.**

"Ah the Roman god of war," Sirius rolled his eyes, "I'm not surprised that would be her second favorite one."

**She pulled a planetarium up for all to see, and while she began dissecting the planets orbits in conjunction with each other, Harry felt his eyes drifting shut, the breeze blowing clean air into his face as an insect hummed somewhere nearby.**

Harry wasn't remotely feeling sleepy now, on the contrary as some deep sense of warning was trying to go off in his head so loud, though he had no clue what the connection could be. Surely not to a bug, or even dozing off in class like he was clearly doing.

**He was riding on the back of an eagle owl, soaring through the clear blue sky,**

"Finally it sounds like one of your dreams is something normal," James smiled. "I can't count the number of times I've dreamed of flying, though normally for me it's on a broom, not a bird."

"I think he's subconsciously missing Buckbeak," Sirius chuckled.

Everyone was laughing happily around Harry, it was such a wonderful sound to him. Even after these days he spent with them, it was still always a happy feeling to realize he was just sitting around and listening to his family laugh...so why was he getting such a bad feeling about having to keep going?

**He was going through the window of an ivy swarmed house, and landing in a high backed chair.**

The longer Harry read, the tighter his voice was getting, like someone was slowly strangling him while he forced this out. The laughter had already died out, but no one bothered to interrupt him to ask why as they must be about to get an answer.

**Two shapes were moving, one on the floor, the other writhing on the floor. It was a squat man with watery eyes and a pointed nose.**

The growl that erupted from everyone was not unexpected the moment the description registered, and though Harry felt like he was reading past a nail spike driving through his brain as this was being returned to him, he was suddenly very grateful he was the one to be reading this. No one liked to hear more mention of this rat after all, but at least Harry could pretend to force past it without threatening murder every other word.

**He was wheezing and sobbing on the hearth rug. . .**

James wished this feeling would go away, this bleeding conflict he felt whenever he heard of Peter like this like he had the first time. He didn't know why the rat was acting like that, but he knew with everything in him he deserved it for giving him up, for causing his death and Lily's and what should have been Harry's. He wanted to just feel that murder pulsing through him, rather than anything else...

**A voice like pure ice spoke of Wormtail's luck, how fortunate he was his blunder had been fixed and he was dead.**

Harry was entirely concerned when no one in here rhetorically asked who that 'he' could be, but that was the kind of reaction mentioning this betrayer wrought in them, nowhere near their normal personalities.

**The shadow on the floor gasped its pleasure for the news, and how sorry he still was for it all.**

James felt like he was the only one paying attention to the actual words rather than the festering thoughts everyone else was harboring at the mention of him, so he was certain he was the only one trying to figure out what exactly _he'd_ done to be apologizing for, not that he cared one bit, it could only be good news for them.

**The cold voice continued ignoring him, instead telling Nagini she was out of luck, she would not be eating Wormtail,**

"Here I am again, pitying a snake."

Harry never would have believed that was Sirius if he hadn't been keeping an uneasy eye on him.

**but there was still Harry Potter.**

Harry looked flummoxed that his being fed to a snake was part of any plan, but even if someone did want to voice their outrage at it, he was reading too fast to let them.

**The snakes tongue flicked in the direction of the voice as it continued addressing Wormtail.**

In between her mental tirade of wanting to rip every last one of his remaining fingers off, Lily was still trying to understand why Voldemort called him that. Her mind must have been working on it in her recess while she tried to ignore it, because now the only idea she could offer up was Voldemort using that as a derogatory on the rat. What had once been an affectionate nickname given to him by his friends for his rat animal was now being turned on its head by the very man he'd served those friends up to, the rat status still stood but now in the darkest way possible.

**Saying he would be given one more reminder of his blunder.**

**Wormtail begged for mercy even as the shout of Crucio rang.**

Sirius should have been far more concerned that he didn't feel a damn thing except disappointment that wasn't him using that curse. Crucio wasn't even the beginning of what he owed that rat, twelve years in Azkaban for starters, then he'd work his way up to other tortures from there.

**Wormtail was screaming, every nerve in his body alight with pain, and Harry was screaming just as loud through the fire in his forehead,**

If anything could snap them back to the actual purpose of this story rather than sucking on revenge, it was Harry, and him reading in a tight pain laced voice as he remembered this set all of them back on the opposite edge of how they felt for the rat.

**he had to stop, or Voldemort would hear him.****

Harry was surprised when the walls didn't shake with them, they were all trembling by the end though for all very different reasons. Too many emotions raining too high to deeply question what needed to be asked, number one of which was: why was Harry still seeing this!? They'd by no means forgotten the first time, but as no new information had arisen from anyone regarding this, they had nothing new to go on, and too much of a chance of it dissolving into another break out attempt in their temper if they tried to dissect it.

**Someone was shouting his name, but Harry came back to himself on Trelawney's floor, his hands covering his face as tears burned his eyes from the pain of his scar.**

Harry was making sure to breathe slowly through his nose, concentrating on every word so that he wouldn't be thinking on that pain that he could all too vividly remember now. It helped nothing when he glanced up and saw all the scared white faces around him for what this could mean.

**The whole class was hovering over him, Ron right by his head as he whispered if Harry was alright?**

"Oh he's just spiffing, and you?" Remus got out, surprised when he tasted copper in his mouth after swallowing, he must have bitten his tongue at some point to stop himself screaming in outrage.

**Trelawney told Ron of course he wasn't, while looking excitedly down at Harry.**

Lily found something to break her temper on, and it wasn't pretty. "Are you kidding me? Is there not one bloody useful teacher in that school! First Snape now her, what in Merlin's sack is wrong with these people! He was on the floor, in pain, and she's excited! I swear if a student didn't take the initiative to run off to get Madam Pomfrey I'm going to curse every last one of them!"

In retrospect that was way too harsh for her, they knew if this had happened in say McGonagall's class or basically any other teacher except these two it would have gotten the proper response of the adult making sure Harry was okay, but no one could blame her heaving chest and wild eyed outrage.

Harry honestly felt in fear for his life if he actually tried to keep going while she was still like this, all for letting her get it all out now, but she seemed to have at least temporarily restrained herself and sat a look on him that said in no uncertain terms for him to keep going.

**She demanded what Harry had been seeing, a premonition?**

"And this is why no one was disagreeing with you Lily," James looked just as outraged as his wife at this lack of concern for their son, but he was more quietly scheming in the back of his head what exactly he planned to do to Trelawney as payback.

**Harry instantly lied it was nothing while struggling to his feet, flinching at every shadow and sure he could still hear Voldemort uttering that curse.**

Harry couldn't suppress another shiver for that, that terrible voice still echoing in the back of his mind. Thankfully no corner of this room was shadowed, the warm lights and cozy fireplace in exact opposite of Trelawney's eerie room, and he was surrounded on all sides feeling very safe.

**Trelawney insisted it had been something, he'd been holding his scar, and insisted she had experience with this.**

"You have as much experience as Lockhart you-" Remus forcibly cut himself off before he went on his own Lily like tangent which still wouldn't resolve anything.

**Harry glared at her as he said he was going to the hospital wing for a headache.**

"If only that's what it had been," Harry whispered to himself, as sickly looking as everyone else in fear and worry of what all this could mean for him.

**Trelawney began to refuse, saying if he left the confines of her clairvoyant powers he'd lose his stimulated and extraordinary moment.**

Lily looked ready to incite murder any second, her wand even appeared and she was glaring at every exit clearly wanting to take Trelawney's head off for actually putting her baby's pain on the powers of that bleeding room!

**If he left now he may not get another opportunity to see-**

"Then by all means, please leave Harry," Sirius ground out, at least mocking Trelawney felt better than thinking of rats.

**Harry snapped he wasn't seeing anything but a headache cure, and left with a quick muttered goodbye to Ron.**

**Trelawney watched him go with a look saying she'd just been denied a treat.**

Lily had to concentrate on each one of her fingers not to perform a strangling motion as she heard that, but at least he was finally leaving.

**Harry did not go for Madam Pomfrey, instead his feet doing as Sirius had told,**

Harry released a breathy laugh he didn't really feel, but any release would be savored as he picked back up his earlier argument with his godfather. "See Sirius, I do listen to some of your advice."

"Oh sure, when it involves Dumbledore," he said back, flipping his hair over his shoulder dramatically but there was still too much anger in his gray eyes for all the recent rat mentions lately for the joke to really be there.

**and go tell Dumbledore. This time had been as vivid as the one in Privet Drive.**

"Gathered that bit," James groaned, ruffling up his own hair in unease, the longer they sat and thought about it, the more worry they gained with no new ideas, but at least some of the blood lust was being forcibly pounded away as Harry got farther away from mentions of who all had been in the dream again.

**He kept replaying the events over in his mind so as not to forget the details, how Voldemort had accused Wormtail of a blunder,**

Nope, there it was! Harry was going to keep thinking on it to until he got it all out to Dumbledore as well, so he decided now he may as well start trying to remove his finger nails, it would hurt less. The only coherent thought he had left was his prayer Harry wouldn't pass this along to Sirius again, the reaction he could have still terrified him as much as what was happening to Harry. He didn't need Sirius going off on a murder rampage and getting caught, that had to be his next step from going back to Harry's side from that first dream. Then again, Harry hadn't mentioned the rat in his first later, so there was still some hope he wouldn't this time, it wouldn't do Sirius any more good than it was them.

**but Voldemort had received good new that someone was dead, and Wormtail was not going to be fed to the snake, that would be Harry.**

Hearing it all a second time didn't make any of that more bearable, or comprehensible, if possible it was actually getting worse with Harry's rendition. Now they didn't have anger to cling onto while listening, now they were just a bubbling, twisting mess of worry of how much pain Harry had to go through to get to the age he was at now.

**Harry had walked right past the stone gargoyle guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office without noticing.**

Remus forced out a laugh he didn't really feel, but at this point any actual noise besides Harry forcing himself to read through pain was a kindness.

**Only when he traced back did he remember that he didn't know the password.**

"Oh yeah," they all muttered, having been so lost in their own thoughts they hadn't recognized this problem either. Now what was Harry going to do?

"I swear if Snape shows up again, I'm getting a shovel and digging my way to his useless arse, the magic keeping me in here be damned," James vowed on the spot.

"You could always try what you were going to last time, go to the staff room and tell an actual useful teacher it's an emergency and need to talk to Dumbledore," Remus offered. "I'm sure they'd give you the password."

Harry gave a listless shrug, he had no clue what he was going to do, but managed a brave smile for all of them at even pretending at a joke and normal conversation again...at least he hoped his dad was joking.

**He still tried sherbet lemon.**

"T for effort," Sirius scolded, "you already knew that wouldn't work."

"Sirius, don't call my son a troll," Lily instantly snapped.

Sirius rolled his eyes at her.

**Instead he started trying others, like Licorice Wand and Fizzing Whizbee,**

"Upgraded to an A for this though," Remus smiled, "he knows Dumbledore has a sweet tooth, and going off the previous password is taking a good guess it could be more candy."

"He's most likely not wrong," James forced some tension out of his shoulders to try and smile along. It didn't all work, but he no longer looked like he was sitting on Hickory anymore. "All the times we were there, it was some form of this."

**Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans? Oh wait, he didn't like those.**

"Who knows, maybe he's found one not earwax flavored since then," Sirius did his very best at a sincere tone, almost getting there.

**When none of that worked, Harry told it was an emergency, but still the gargoyle didn't move.**

"I'd be more concerned if it did move," Lily sighed.

**Harry kicked it, achieving nothing but an excruciating pain in his big toe.**

"Did you at least feel better?" James actually did manage a genuine laugh for that one.

Harry ignored the, in his opinion, stupid question.

**Now shouting Chocolate Frog and standing on one leg.**

"Is this a new game?" Sirius found honest laughter bubbling in his chest, though he wasn't surprised. If anything could make him smile again, it would be his godson. "Hop on one foot and shout treats until you run out, I like this."

Harry tried to keep being angry with them for laughing like this when he knew in the book he was still upset over what he'd seen, but he recognized as well as them that getting angry wasn't helping a thing, at least smiling gave the feeling that everything would turn out okay.

**At last shouting Cockroach Cluster in anger, and the gargoyle sprang aside.**

"Cockroach Cluster?" Remus crinkled his nose in disgust. "Really Dumbledore?"

"I've heard they actually taste rather like crispy chocolates," Lily offered with her own look of concern at this, she'd never believed the friend that had tried to convince her of this.

"I can't believe he went with that over the Beans!" Sirius gasped.

"I guess anyone who eats Peppermint Humbug has this kind of strange taste," Harry shrugged.

"At least it wasn't Jelly Slugs," James smirked, "I'm still hoping Dumbledore remembers that one personally."

"I do not want to know," Lily groaned at once. Harry was still too distracted thinking about his dream and what all it could mean for him to be to invested in asking for now.

**Harry looked at the opening in surprise, admitting he'd been joking.**

"Well don't tell it that!" Sirius said mock frantically.

**Still he went inside and traveled up to the headmaster's office, but when he got near he heard voices and hesitated.**

"You seem to do that quite a lot for someone who insists he's not a snooper," Remus snorted in surprise.

Harry was finally distracted from his own problem by that, looking up at Remus with the widest most innocent eyes he had.

Remus snorted again and shook his head in disbelief, jabbing a thumb at Sirius and saying, "trying looking at me with literal puppy eyes and get back to me on that one."

Sirius cracked up laughing so hard he nearly missed Harry pouting but moving on.

**The voice inside was telling Dumbledore he saw no connections, it was Fudge.**

"Oh, because he's always a joy to have around," Lily said in contempt, not one of them forgetting how last year he'd happily sanctioned Sirius getting Kissed!

Sirius was too busy suppressing his giggles that Remus had admitted out loud that had worked to garner the hatred he should have felt.

**He was still insisting that while Bertha was missing, it didn't mean foul play.**

"I swear his head is as empty as the Shrieking Shack," James scowled. "What person actually goes missing this long without not being declared dead? It's been what, almost a year now?"

It was their insight that they knew she was dead, but James logic was still sound that no one would have argued with him otherwise.

**There was just no way it had anything to do with Crouch.**

They all sat in puzzlement on that for a second, Lily saying slowly, "yes, alright, I can kind of put together how Dumbledore would think that. Harry did verbatim what Crouch had been rambling on about, and he did mention Bertha, but I still can't see how Crouch knew anything."

"Maybe Dumbledore sees a more clear line connection than just the passing along information Harry got?" Remus tried with no honest belief.

**Moody's voice spoke up what he thought the Minister thought happened to Crouch?**

**Fudge said he had two ideas,**

"Oh I'm going to love hearing this," James sneered.

**the first was that Crouch had cracked and gone wandering off.**

"If that is option one, I am terrified for my sanity what option two is," Lily looked dumbstruck anyone could reach that conclusion in these circumstances. Surely Dumbledore had given Harry's account of the matter, no one could be so stupid and blind as to draw that kind of conclusion from it!

**Dumbledore simply answered he wandered extremely quickly then.**

"Still got to love how Dumbledore kindly points out how dumb the people around him are," Sirius muttered to himself.

**Fudge said he'd reserve judgement on the second idea until he saw the place for himself.**

"What does that even mean?" Remus asked in surprise. "It was on the edge of the Forest, why do you need to be there to declare anything of it."

"I don't see why we're hearing his opinion on it at all," James scowl kept deepening the longer this guy was around, "since I hold its weight on the same level as dragon dung."

**Confirming this had happened right around the Beauxbatons carriage? Reminding Dumbledore of what she was.**

"He did not!" Harry heard everyone bark in outrage. The way his lip curled in protest of having said that however left no one in doubts. No one currently liked Maxime for what she'd done to Hagrid, in all honesty they still blamed her for it even being out, but no one was accusing her of pulling this simply because she was like Hagrid! And the worst part was, no one had any doubts if Fudge was saying this about her, he could be thinking about Hagrid as well!

**Dumbledore quietly returned he found her an able headmistress, and an excellent dancer.**

"Thank you for that useful information," Remus muttered sullenly, wishing Dumbledore would take that a little more offensively like they had.

**Fudge was getting angry now, saying Dumbledore may be acting a little blind for his trust in Hagrid. They didn't all turn out harmless, and Hagrid didn't even sound that with all his monsters.**

"That's it, where's the nearest tiny box, I'm cramming his arse in it," Sirius followed that up with a few more swears just as the timer went off from the kitchen.

Lily was saved from having to listen to the rest no matter how much she agreed by going to let dinner cool, by the time she came back all of the boys were still in a temper like her for the slur of a comment but at least willing to let Harry finish as he fingered the last page.

**Dumbledore forcefully replied he did not suspect either of them, and in fact flipped back on Fudge perhaps he was the one being blinded by prejudice.**

"Least Dumbledore's saying that much," Remus muttered as he poked at a hole in his sleeve, his mind was starting to get a bit stung around the edges his old headmaster wasn't being a bit more vocally against this.

**Moody suggested they wrap this up, and while Fudge agreed he wanted a look around the grounds, Moody instead pointed out that Potter must want a word because he was outside the door.**

"Chapter's over," Harry sighed as he gave the book an unfriendly toss onto the table and being the first to exit the room.

* * *

Update on Cursed Child: If my review wasn't enough for you guys, I found a guy who emulates everything I ever could think to say. Mine is really puny small in comparison, and I can't disagree with a single thing he says. I left a lot out of mine, but he covers the whole thing! It's funny, go watch!

The Script for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - The Dom Reviews

Oh, and last thing, look for something special but unrelated to this coming up on the 8th.

*nahte123456 pointed this out, and yeah, it's a really good point.

**If anybody remembers my rant from the second chapter about how much it bothered me they never explained these third person dreams Harry has, I thank you all for all the suggestions you gave, but I'm still not sold on why it happens. Just because Voldemort doesn't have his normal body shouldn't disrupt the horcrux connection that allows Harry to see inside Voldemort's mind of the body he's in, not from the window's perspective. This isn't from Nagini ...it's just information insert. I do acknowledge that it could well be Harry seeing through Voldemort and we're just getting the outside perspective, JK has done this in the past by switching between characters like in Harry's first Quidditch match, and that's basically the only running thing I can go with, but it still annoys me to no end it's never acknowledged in that way, it's just there.


	31. THE PENSIEVE

 

* * *

Harry didn't want to be left staring at that book any longer than he had to for now, it caused too many terrible stirrings in the back of his mind as he kept contemplating on what his connection to Voldemort could mean. Bad things, of that he was sure. So instead he engaged himself as much as he could in conversation and honestly tried to drag it out far more than called for even after lunch was done, and dragged his feet back to the reading spot.

At least his mother offered one last word of comfort before Remus could start. "I know what you've been doing love, but I know everything's going to work itself out."

"How do you know?" Harry sighed, and they were all getting very concerned at how hollow his voice sounded right then. It was very clearly written all over him he was foreseeing how bad this was going to get before it gets better.

"Because I know it will," she stated back with pure confidence. "Because you're here now, a handsome grown man, and so everything else will work itself out."

Harry flushed at the compliment, which made Lily smile as that had been her point.

"Maybe, maybe even Dumbledore will see you as old enough now and will explain to you properly more about your scar." James offered hopefully, still knowing he wanted that answer more than anything, as he hoped it would directly link to why Voldemort had even gone after his family.

"Yeah, maybe," Harry now said, back to his usual tone and a small smile lingering as Remus began.

**The door opened to Moody escorting him in, and Harry was back inside Dumbledore's circular office with all the old headmaster and mistress portraits on the wall snoring.**

"I never understood why those things fake that," Sirius rolled his eyes. "Portraits don't even need sleep, they just fake it to annoy us!"

**Fudge was hovering by Dumbledore's desk, greeting Harry pleasantly and asking how he was.**

"Annoyed," James answered for him at the presence of Fudge in general, let alone the actual reason Harry was there.

**Harry lied he was fine, while Fudge explained they were about to have a look on the grounds where Crouch had vanished, Fudge confirming it had been Harry to last see this?**

"Yes, somehow you always find a way to be the source of a lot of things," Remus agreed.

Harry wished he could deny that one.

**Harry again agreed, and then decided it was pointless to pretend like he hadn't overheard their conversation,**

"You seem to have that attitude a lot," Sirius shook his head in disbelief at Harry. "What on earth possessed you to admit to ease dropping as much as you do?"

Harry shrugged for answer.

**he said he hadn't seen Maxime anywhere there, and she'd have a job of hiding.**

Lily had a triumphant grin in place, fighting back the impulse to high five her son for that.

**Dumbledore gave Harry a smile for that while Fudge blustered a bit before changing the subject that they'd be back soon and Harry should go back to class for a time.**

"I'm thinking about paying Dumbledore to fire that woman so no one ever has to go back to that class," James grouched.

**Harry quickly said he'd come here to see Dumbledore, and it was important!**

**Dumbledore watched him for a moment before telling Harry to wait here in the office,**

"Wait what," Sirius began scowling at once. "He can't tell the Minister to be waiting! Dumbledore must know Harry wouldn't have come if it wasn't important. I don't want to hear about that stupid whatever it was again, but that doesn't mean Dumbledore should be brushing you off!"

"He wasn't really," Harry edged, his mind plucking up one feeble solution as offering. "He was trying to get rid of Fudge so he wouldn't hover. Dealing with his problem first meant he would leave, then Dumbledore could give me his full attention."

No one looked all that happy with this.

**until he got back.**

**The three left, and Harry did another examination of the office before spotting Fawkes.***

No one could stop a soft smile even if they all did shiver in remembrance of the last time that bird had showed up.

**Harry sank into the chair across from Dumbledore's desk and continued looking around the rest of the office, still rubbing absently at his scar and thinking on what had brought him here. Somehow he felt calmer in Dumbledore's office.**

Sirius tried to hide how affronted he was that Harry hadn't taken the initiative to go send him a letter about this. If Dumbledore was telling Harry to wait, then at least Harry could be sending the message to someone he should know would care at that instant.

**On Dumbledore's bookshelf sat a large sword in a glass case with rubies encrusted in the hilt,**

James let out a laugh he didn't really feel as he said, "should I be mad on your part Dumbledore kept that? It was rightfully Harry's having pulled it out."

"Maybe it's technically a weapon, and he'll give it to Harry when he's of age?" Lily offered.

Harry felt his insides squirming at the reappearance of Godric Gryffindor's sword...and tried his best to ignore the feeling that he'd need that sword again around his time of coming of age...

**and his mind wandered back to when he'd first seen that, before he realized that there was something sparkling off the glass, and he looked around for the source, spotting a partially opened cabinet behind him.**

"I'm guessing that means that Fudge just showed up then without forewarning," Remus muttered in annoyance, as he couldn't think up many other reasons why Dumbledore would be so careless like that.

**Harry only hesitated for a moment before opening the cabinet.**

Sirius and James began laughing like idiots at once, no one needing to ask why as it was clear they would have done the exact same thing.

Remus and Lily exchanged an exasperated look at the pair, but neither would deny either curiosity most likely would have gotten the better of them as well.

**Inside was a basin with runes carved along the edges and a silvery light emitting from its contents.**

Remus' mind hovered over that description for a moment before he asked, "does that sound like a Pensieve?"

"Sounds like," Sirius agreed. "Doesn't surprise me one bit that Dumbledore has one."

Harry not only remembered the explanation of what that was, but absently nodded to himself in assurance of that being the right answer. At least now he understood why he'd thought he'd come across one of these. It still didn't explain his feeling of significance, leaving him wondering just what was so important about this particular Pensieve. What memories could it hold that should mean so much to his life?

**He couldn't tell whether the substance was liquid or gas.**

"Neither, it's magic," Sirius whispered in a mystical voice, getting Harry to laugh and break his concentration.

**It seemed to keep switching between the two even as he watched. He wanted to touch it,**

James whacked Harry upside the head.

"Ouch," Harry protested as he rubbed the spot. "What was that for?"

"Four years in the magical world, all you've gotten up to, and still your first impulse is to touch the strange stuff you had no idea what it was." The father rolled his eyes, honestly wondering how his son had made it to his current age. All while trying to deny he'd instantly felt bad for cuffing Harry, his mind having a horrible flicker to the Dursley's, and wishing he'd put more thought into the action, but Harry hardly seemed worse for wear as he finished, "That could have been some deadly poison for all you knew."

"It said I wanted to," Harry emphasized. "Not that I'd done it," yet, his brain finished, giving an extra hard wince for that in annoyance of remembering even a few seconds too soon. He decided he'd better get used to ducking.

**and see what it felt like, but his time in the magical world had taught him better about touching any old thing.**

"Ha!" Harry smirked at him.

James relented at once, holding his hands up in surrender and apologizing for the blow.

**Instead he pulled out his wand and poked it.**

"That's hardly better," Lily shook her head at her son. "Beyond James' point, that isn't yours to be messing with."

Harry had no defense for that.

**The silvery substance began to take shape, spinning and swirling as it took on density, and suddenly Harry seemed to be looking through a window.**

If they'd had any doubt it was a Pensieve before, it was gone now, that was the perfect description of looking on a memory. Considering the last memory Harry had seen though, none of them could pretend enthusiasm for another one popping up.

**The room was poorly lit with only torches on the wall, and seemed to be circular with rows of benches lowering in levels to the small open area that had a chair in the center with heavy chains attached to it.**

Everyone felt themselves tighten up as they jumped to where that could possibly be, and it did make since being in Dumbledore's memories.

**Harry didn't recognize it, nor anyone in the tiny crowd below, it certainly didn't seem like anywhere in Hogwarts.**

"Well if we're right, then you're right," Lily sighed.

At Harry's blank look, she explained, "it sounds like the courtrooms the Ministry of Magic has."

Harry half wished she hadn't answered, he didn't like the settling feeling telling him his mother was right, or how his mind instantly offered up how awful that place was.

**There was silence except for the occasional ruffle of someone shifting around, all were gazing in one direction Harry couldn't see. He tried to lean closer, and his nose grazed the surface.**

"I guess landing in there is better than crouching over it the whole time," Remus rolled his eyes. "You were clearly interested enough you weren't going to take a hint and move away."

"Which means he'll be stuck in that thing until Dumbledore comes back to pull him out," James shook his head, "which automatically means you're busted kiddo."

**Without warning Harry was pitched forward, falling through color and sound until he landed without warning amongst the witches he'd once seen from above, but when he looked up, there was only a shadowed ceiling. Not one person took notice of the fourteen year old landing in their midst.**

"It's a good thing I've lived through one of these before," Harry sighed, "otherwise I'd be much more concerned."

"At least this time we know the source of it," Lily still couldn't stop a shiver as she remembered that diary.

**Then he looked again and spotted a wizard on his right, and shouted in surprise to see Dumbledore! He began apologizing at once at finding him here, but then stuttered himself off and asked where they were?**

"That's your first question?" Sirius gave a breathy laugh to Harry to remind himself where he was. "Not, hey, didn't you just leave your office, how'd you get here?"

"I basically asked the same thing," Harry defended, wondering why his godfather looked as sick to his stomach as Harry felt.

**Dumbledore gave no indication he'd heard Harry, and something began to dawn on him.**

James began mock applauding him, and Harry smacked at his hands to get him to stop.

**Something like this had happened once before, when he'd landed in a memory.**

"All kinds of things from your second year are popping up this chapter," Lily gave an awkward giggle.

Second year, something of that niggled at Harry as he kept watching Sirius, something he'd heard about him, it came to him in a flash as he remembered them finishing that second book, and how Sirius had confided the Ministry had nearly dragged him in for some attack on a Muggle that had lived near Sirius. This was most likely the place Sirius would have been dragged to, which explained why he was being so particularly twitchy.

**So curious, he waved his hand energetically in front of him.**

Remus gave a surprised snort of laughter, just imagining someone doing that to Dumbledore.

**Again his headmaster gave no acknowledgment to Harry, didn't even flinch, so Harry decided the matter was settled.**

"You will make one great Auror," James continued mocking his son, it was much more fun than other memories that place stirred. "That was brilliant detective work."

**Dumbledore wouldn't so blatantly ignore him like that, so he must be in a memory, but not one from too long ago as he was still as silvery haired as Harry had left him.**

"Yeah, but the guys over a hundred years old," Remus shrugged. "At some point after seventy, you kind of just look that ancient no matter how many birthdays you have."

"How long do wizards normally live?"** Harry asked in surprise, Dumbledore still seemed to act in the prime of his youth despite his age. It was clearly longer than Muggles.

"Depends on how much magic you fiddle with," Lily shrugged. "There was an article last week about someone celebrating their 300th birthday, but I knew a girl's gran who died at 169 just from old age passing in Saint Mungo's because she was tired of further treatment."

"There's this guy who gave us our Transfiguration tests," James agreed, "and I swear he's got to be almost a thousand years old he looks so ancient, but when I asked he just told me to get back to work."

Harry's mind boggled at the idea of living so long even without a Philosopher's Stone which apparently had already allowed Flamel more than double a normal life expectancy, but it also made it all the more bitter as he watched those around him talk. He'd always seen how sad it was for his parents to have died so young, now it was made all the worse in realizing just how young by their own normal life expectancy.

**He still had no clue where he was, or what everyone was waiting on. Harry's best guess is that they were somewhere underground as he eyed the double doors like everyone else.**

Harry and his observation at it again, Sirius mentally grumbled at how true that was.

**There was a heavy air of bleakness surrounding the place, no decorations to speak of, just that chair glinting in the small spotlight for all to see.**

Harry had a growing sense of fear creeping up at him from the memory of this place, those chains, that chair. Surely though he'd never had a real life experience of them, Dumbledore's memory should be the only time he'd ever have to deal with a place like this...

**Finally the doors banged open, and a man was being supported inside by two dementors.**

Sirius shuddered so violently he would have fallen over if he hadn't been sitting down. Of course no one bothered to ask him why, and honestly they wouldn't even be surprised if Padfoot didn't make another appearance. It had to be traumatizing for someone who'd heard they'd be spending their life entrapped by those things and even a random mention pop up could cause another onset of fear to come in.

**Even without the affects those creatures could have on one, Harry felt his insides go cold as they entered the room, their skeletal hands keeping the man between them.**

Harry shivered almost as hard as his godfather as he remembered those clammy hands trapping his throat and trying to force him to face that nightmarish face. He didn't care if it was just a memory, that feeling washed over him clear as day.

**The hooded beings put the man in the chair, where the chains quickly came to life and strapped him in, then they departed and the doors shut behind him.**

Sirius made some form of a noise, maybe a laugh but it was too twisted to tell, as he tried to rasp out, "least they didn't stick around inside." James wanted to ask if he wanted a break, or perhaps check his head and make sure he wasn't suffering brain damage, but Remus was clearly trying to pretend like this was going to be better if he read faster.

**Upon closer inspection, it was Karkaroff.**

Lily jerked in surprise at that news, at least her mind effectively being taken off of Sirius to wonder just what kind of memory Harry was sitting in on.

**Unlike Dumbledore, the man was much younger, his hair and goatee now black. Instead of the rich furs, he was wearing ragged clothing, and the chains were the only thing keeping him upright.**

Sirius couldn't hold it in anymore as he jumped from his seat, jumped clean over the little coffee table, and kept shaking his twitching limbs like he was trying to throw something off all the while still making that creepy noise like he was trying to laugh but his throat wasn't working right.

"Sirius!" Harry yelped in concern as he realized Sirius was still trying to stave off some growing feeling of being confined in Azkaban.

James gently tried to calm him saying, "I promise Padfoot, they're not going to get away with doing that to you. Just breathe mate."

"Right, yeah," his head jerked more than nodded agreement. "You know what irony is?" He demanded back, all of them growing more concerned by the second as he stumbled more than paced across the hearth. Lily honestly had to fight down the urge to stop him just for the fear he could fall into the flames he was acting so uncoordinated. "The fact that they were trying to drag me in for something I had nothing to do with, instead of the time where I should have gotten a stupid trial."

Remus rubbed furiously at his temple as he watched his friend, but still tried for a soothing voice rather than threatening violence. "Believe me, we're not going to let them get away with that."

Sirius had no response to that. He wanted to thank them for continuously forcing that promise on him, it really meant more to him than he could put into words, but at the moment he couldn't find any to use as he just waved at Remus to go on.

**A voice on Harry's left acknowledged Igor Karkaroff**

They were all so worried about Sirius that the shock of Karkaroff being there hardly registered.

**to the courts, the speaker was Crouch.**

Sirius really wouldn't stop that creepy laugh as he kept muttering about Karkaroff getting a trial. Lily was half tempted to put a silencing charm on him just to make that noise go away.

**Like Karkaroff, his age was younger, his face full and healthy with a fit build and dark hair.**

They all reasoned that this must happen in a very short time in their own future, or not to long after the downfall of Voldemort. Either way, they weren't exactly up for hearing whatever this was about.

**Crouch continued by saying that Karkaroff had been brought here in front of the Ministry to present information.**

**Karkaroff tried to straighten himself in his bindings.**

Sirius tripped on the edge of the rug and nearly face planted the carpeted, only just catching himself on the mantel above the fireplace. Thankfully for Sirius, the others pretended not to notice.

**Karkaroff agreed at once, and though his voice was flat scared, Harry could still spot his tones he used now. Continued by saying he wanted to help the Ministry, in support of them to rid the last of the free Dark Lord supporters.**

Well there was that answer at least. They were actually all the more infuriated this was happening after Voldemort's downfall, because this meant that scum like Karkaroff was still getting an appearance like this when Sirius would still be denied one!

**On Dumbledore's other side, another voice spoke about how much filth Karkaroff was.**

**Harry leaned over and spotted Mad-Eye.**

"Wonder if he's the arresting officer," James muttered mostly to himself. That was usually the only reason for Auror's to make appearances, but that was at actual trials to convict these people to Azkaban, this was an after the fact type thing that James honestly had no idea about. He'd never heard of someone being pulled out of Azkaban after they'd been sent there.

**With the noticeable difference of not having his magical eye, instead two normal ones.**

"Now I can see why it was so weird for you guys to picture him like that," Harry nodded, though it was all the more weird for him to see the man without it.

**He was looking down upon Karkaroff with intense dislike.**

"I'd be more worried if he did look friendly," Sirius muttered as he continued trying to wear out the carpet.

**Moody was still chatting with Dumbledore about how he saw no point in Crouch doing this deal, it had taken Moody six months to track this guy down and now he was being let go because of some names.**

Between James and Sirius saying so many foul mouthed things for this actually happening to a prisoner who didn't deserve it, Harry was starting to wonder just how long a lifespan Crouch should expect when the spell broke over this place.

**Moody thought they should get the names and then give Karkaroff back to the dementors.**

"Moody's seemed to have had the best ideas all year," Remus nodded savagely.

**Dumbledore made a noise of protest, which Moody caught and corrected himself, he'd forgotten Albus' dislike of dementors.**

"Forgot Dumbledore actually disliked those things," Sirius threw his hands up in exasperation, he was starting to look worn from his own energy leaving him, but still his feet kept at their rhythm in protest. Movement felt better than his mind trying to fail him.

"I'm inclined to disagree on Dumbledore with this one though," James snapped. He despised dementors in every way possible, but some people who weren't Sirius deserved them.

**Crouch was speaking again, telling Karkaroff to begin the names.**

**Karkaroff began by saying that only He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named truly knew all of his followers, he'd done this for secrecy, and Karkaroff regretted ever counting himself a part of that.**

"Because you got caught," Lily hissed. She hadn't seen an ounce of anything to show her otherwise, and she wasn't in a particularly giving mood to see anything else.

**Moody pointed out that had been wise move, so scum like Karkaroff couldn't be pulling this trick.**

"Moody's making all my commentary for me," James tried his hardest to crack a joke he wasn't even sure Sirius heard.

**Karkaroff was telling the names he did know in a sign of how he utterly renounced those ways-**

**Crouch cut him off to tell him to start giving up those names.**

Lily never thought she'd be agreeing with Crouch about anything, but she certainly wished Karkaroff would get on with it. Honestly this whole ordeal felt pointless to her as she kept fearfully watching Sirius' feet start to drag. She still remembered why Harry had gotten into this in the first place, so even once all of this horrid Azkaban and prisoner talk was over, they were still going to have to hear something just as bad.

**The first name he gave was Antonin Dolohov,**

Harry felt a stirring in his mind, a whisper of that name being mentioned to him some other time...by Mrs. Weasley? That didn't make a lot of sense though...Then his eyes flickered to Remus and away so fast that it all evaporated into the recesses of his mind.

**who'd been seen torturing Muggles.**

**Moody muttered about how Karkaroff had helped him do it.**

"Now this is just getting insulting," Remus agreed with James, "he's taking all our good material away."

The four of them were instantly delighted when Sirius even pretended at his own joking tone. "Guess we should just be thankful he hasn't been here with us, or this would be a more recurring problem."

"Plus he would have cursed us all into oblivion by now for annoying him," James tried for a natural laugh.

**Crouch said they already had him in custody.**

**Karkaroff said he was happy to hear it, but his tone didn't show as he realized one of his names was worthless.**

"It's too bad they all aren't," Lily scowled, determined to make it so in this proper timeline, she wasn't letting Karkaroff getting away with this the second time no matter how many people he gave up in his place.

**Still he forced out another name, Evan Rosier.**

"I remember him from school," Remus gave a hateful scowl, "couldn't walk down a bleeding corridor without finding that loon cursing someone."

"I'm sure you all emulated him," Lily muttered sarcastically without really meaning it. The Marauders had never done half the terrible things some of the pre Death Eaters had gotten up to.

**Crouch said back Rosier had died in a struggle to bring him in.**

**Moody agreed that one had taken some of him with him, pointing to his half missing nose.**

"Good to know where that came from," James muttered randomly.

**Despite Karkaroff saying that was well deserved, it was clear he was starting to panic, what if none of his names were useful?**

"Clearly some of it is though," Sirius couldn't help but point out. "We've had suspicions about Rosier, but now we actually know he was a Death Eater."

"I'm not entirely sure I even trust whatever names Karkaroff supplies," Remus disagrees. "For all we know he could throw any name out he wanted to just to get himself some good will."

"And it's not like I'm going to trust Crouch on his investigations into these names," James agreed.

**Now desperate, Karkaroff began spouting several and what they'd done, including Travers who murdered the McKinnon's,**

Lily's eyes flashed with hatred at learning the killer of one of her friends, while Sirius wobbled hard again. He'd dated Marlene for a bit in school, it was an extra sharp blow at the reminder someone he even distantly knew was soon to die.

**Mulciber, who specialized in the Imperius Curse,**

"Another lunatic we had the displeasure of knowing in school," James snapped. "Wasn't he the one who got caught dangling some kid from a third floor window?"

"It was that Boot kid, yeah," Remus agreed.

**Rookwood, who'd been passing information from inside the Ministry.**

Harry felt a tingling sensation at the mention of that name, he was sure he should remember something about it. For some reason his first thought was to go to Bagman... but then why could he almost hear the echo of Percy shouting that name distantly in his mind? None of this was making any sense, and apparently he wasn't the only one.

"Well you were right Sirius," Lily said begrudgingly. "That's a new name for us."

Sirius still looked testy they were having to learn this information in the way they were and didn't look up to gloating.

**Karkaroff struck gold with the last one,**

"It's not at all comforting we weren't the only ones in the dark about this," Remus scowled.

**as Crouch repeated Augustus Rookwood, of the Department of Mysteries?**

"Oh that's even better," James' scowl increased. "He works in one of the top Departments!"

**Karkaroff eagerly agreed, he knew the man had many high end networks he'd been using to collect information from inside the Ministry.**

Lily remembered back to Remus' earlier words about how they really shouldn't even be putting much stock into all the names given, even if each so far had panned out. They should be taking everything a Death Eater said with a grain of salt.

**Crouch jotted something down while Karkaroff continued, next naming Snape.**

"There it is," James remarked. "Something I've been saying for years, and it had to be this whack job to finally agree with me."

"Clearly it didn't work," Remus sighed.

**Crouch passed that one up, as Dumbledore himself had vouched for Snape.**

Sirius made a noise like a kicked puppy while everyone else snapped in outrage at the absurdity of that. His mind was jammed on the fact that his old headmaster, a man who had inducted him into the Order, had actually passed him over for Snape of all people!

Lily snatched the book away from Remus so viciously that she actually left the page behind in his hand that held what she'd wanted to read. She took that away too and read that one for herself while James thundered, "you have got to be kidding me? Dumbledore kept Snape out of Azkaban, actually defended that slime ridden toadstool, but Sirius hadn't been given the time of day!"

"I just, it really boggles the mind, what the hell does Dumbledore have on Snape that has him so convinced he wasn't a Death Eater!" Remus demanded of nothing, honestly wishing the man was here so he could curse the answer out of him. "Everything else in the world is saying otherwise?"

Lily was disgusted with herself when she realized she saw this as good news. She still hated Snape, would never forgive him for what he was doing to her son and the kids his age, but did this actually mean that Snape did still have something left in him of that friend Lily had once known? What did Dumbledore know that they didn't, that would make him trust Snape like this? She silently passed the book back to Remus with a quick uttered charm to fix it and just sat there, biting at her lip and twirling her hair into her fingers as her mind grappled with her to understand all these conflictions.

Harry was mentally agreeing with his mother, though of course neither had any idea of this. He really was trying to understand what Dumbledore knew, what he'd seen in Snape that made the man so forgivable? Had he ever found this out? He couldn't even fathom the idea as of now, but...

Remus kept watching Sirius for a while, he didn't want to keep going when the hurt was rolling off of Sirius in waves at this new news, but when Sirius seemed to realize the silence was dragging on because of him, he met his friends eyes and put his cocky front back on. "You can keep eyeing me all you want Moony, but I've told you how ineffective that flirting technique is."

Remus flipped him off and turned back to the book.

**Karkaroff protested at once, assuring that Severus Snape was a Death Eater!**

Harry felt like something was trying to split his skull in two at that statement as every memory he held was confident that was true, even his gut wasn't exactly trying to deny that...but still there was something somewhere in a dark corner of his mind trying to pipe up and say something in an alien language.

**Dumbledore stood amongst the crowd, giving his testimony that Snape had been a Death Eater, but had flipped side's right before Voldemort's downfall and was now spying for them, he was no longer considered a Death Eater.**

"A spy hu?" James brows were threatening to get lost in his hair as his tone colored every bit of his disbelief. "I never in my life thought I'd see Dumbledore duped, but if that is honestly what he's going with, I will start that man's funeral myself."

Harry laughed mechanically as he like everyone else honestly thought Dumbledore was just lying, or somehow leaving something out, or something! There was no way that was really the reason, the man had no need to switch sides. But then that still left the question as open ended as when they'd started, what was really going on here?

**Harry turned to look at Mad-Eye. He was wearing a look of deep skepticism behind Dumbledore's back.**

"As if I needed further proof," Sirius sighed as he sank to the floor in front of the fire, stretching his back to the warmth. They all gave him one more concerned look, but clearly he wanted easier access to keep up his movement if he needed to again, and if not being confined to a chair helped with that no one was going to tell him otherwise. He picked up a poker and began shifting some logs around, though the magical flames didn't need them, just for something to do with his hands.

**Crouch told Karkaroff if that was all, he would await in Azkaban while they looked over this new information... his voice was fading out and suddenly Harry was lost in swirls of color and sound again.**

Harry was starting to feel a little panicky, wondering if something was wrong with the Pensieve, had it somehow been broken?

**Just as suddenly he was right back where he started, in the same place, but a seemingly new environment. Now everyone was chatting and perfectly cheerful.**

It didn't take long for Harry to figure out by himself though that this was simply another memory, and they had said Pensieves can house a lot of memories as opposed to that diary that just had the one.

**The witches and wizards all around the walls were talking to one another, almost as though they were at some sort of sporting event.**

Harry felt like that was ominous for whatever moment was to come, while at his side James gave an unhappy smirk and said, "well I'm so glad they're all enjoying themselves at someone else's trial, who's coming in next, a Parkinson?"

**Across from Harry he could spot someone in the crowd who stuck out, a young Rita Skeeter.**

Lily made a retching noise of disgust at having to deal with her again at any given time. Just to break the mood more than looking for an answer, she turned to Harry and asked, "Any status updates on what Hermione's revenge on her is?"

"No," Harry shook his head, "I hadn't really the time to ask, figured she'd tell me when she got something."

**Harry saw she wasn't the only thing different, Dumbledore looked the same but in different robes, Crouch looked older and more gaunt, and Harry understood this was a different trial.**

"I wonder why Dumbledore was looking at these anyways," Remus asked.

"Who knows what that man gets up to," James shrugged.

**The door in the corner opened, and Bagman walked into the room.**

"Oh?" James asked with increasing frustration, he almost would have preferred another Death Eater to whatever this idiot was up to.

**He was not the retired man of Harry's time though, but fit and muscular, clearly at the height of his Quidditch career, his nose wasn't even broken yet.**

Sirius nodded to himself, more than happy at this turn of events. This was the Bagman he pictured whenever the guy was annoying Harry, and the one he kept imagining punching in the face.

**Bagman looked nervous as he sat down in the chained chair, but it did not bind him there as it had Karkaroff.**

"Lucky him," Sirius rolled his eyes, giving one more tight shiver that was finally starting to ease as he scooted himself just a bit closer to the flames, though his jerking hand almost spit a flicker onto the carpet. He put the poker up and quickly put it out and hoped Lily didn't notice.

**This seemed to give him confidence, as he gave a cheery wave to the crowed, a few of which did so back.**

"Least someone's having fun," Remus rolled his eyes.

**Crouch began same as before, counting the charges that Bagman had been called here to face charges of Death Eater activity.**

"Whoa, what!" James spluttered, entirely sure he'd heard that wrong.

Remus just blinked down at the pages for a few moments, nodding dumbly, but when everyone else looked to frozen in shock to remark he kept going.

**Bagman could give a final testimony before judgement was passed.**

**Bagman began to say he knew he'd been an idiot, while Crouch's look clearly said he agreed with that part.**

"Oh, remember Winky!" Lily suddenly yelped. "You don't really think this is what she meant about Bagman, do you?"

"That he's a Death Eater?" Sirius shook his head, even hearing it firsthand he couldn't put his mind around it. "I really can't think so, the guy's an idiot, but not that kind."

"Rita Skeeter's there as well," Remus reminded, still keeping a frown on the page. "Remember her comment about Bagman as well? I really can't imagine what else those two separate people could be talking about."

**While another voice muttered how true that was. Harry looked around to see Mad-Eye again, telling Dumbledore how Bagman was so dim, it wouldn't surprise him if the Bludgers weren't the source.**

The boys gave a light chuckle of appreciation.

**Crouch cut in, referring to his full name of Ludovic Bagman being caught passing information to an informant of Voldemort!**

"Did Crouch really say Voldemort's name, or are you substituting?" James yelped in surprise.

"Ah, no, I didn't. Crouch really said it," Remus looked as stunned by this as the events happening to Bagman.

"Jeez, this really does sound bad though," Lily shook her head at this happening.

"It can't have stuck though," Sirius was frowning deeply, "I mean, remember Arthur? You'd think he'd be a lot less willing to help out a guy like Bagman if he was a Death Eater, and they seemed at least on good terms."

"I'll give Sirius that," Remus agreed, "Crouch has proven to be the kind to strike first and not question it at all," the pronounced scowl on his face didn't need to be questioned, "even if I can't think of how this can be misinterpreted, I'd still take Bagman over Crouch."

**Crouch began setting the sentence of his time in Azkaban, but the crowd began shouting its disapproval.**

"Look Moony, you got a whole crowd agreeing with you," James smirked. "Who says you're not a people person?"

**Bagman spoke above them all, pleading them to understand he hadn't known that's what he was doing, Rookwood had been a friend of his dad,**

"Oh," they all muttered, well there it was, turns out there was some wiggle room for Bagman's innocence, and they all honestly believed it.

**he'd had no idea he was on You-Know-Who's side. Rookwood had been promising him a job in the Ministry after he retired.**

Sirius couldn't stop a happy enough laugh at knowing those end results.

**Crouch was clearly unimpressed, but the vote was put up. Not one person raised their hand in favor of imprisonment.**

Lily whistled in surprise, it really was something when there was a unanimous vote.

**After that was passed, one which even stood up in the crowd to congratulate Bagman on his recent win against Turkey.**

"I feel like now's not the time to bring that up," Remus shook his head in disbelief.

"Don't know what you're talking about," James scoffed back, "Quidditch stats can break any tension."

**Bagman gave a cheerful wave as he exited, while Crouch muttered his disgust over this. Saying the day he joined the Ministry they'd all be ruined.**

This time they all laughed at that, it was nice to see Crouch eating even a tiny bit of his words.

**It happened again, everything faded around Harry, and then he was sat in on another completely different environment. Crouch was at his oldest yet, and there was a woman by his side sobbing.**

Lily felt her chest give an extra hard thump at the start of this display, already wishing she could go back and hear more about Bagman.

**The crowd was whispering, and everyone was watching Crouch nervously as he shouted for the prisoners to be brought on.**

"Wait, this isn't..." Remus trailed off in surprise, wondering if they were thinking the same as him. His mind was also caught on the sobbing woman, and now all attention seemed to be on Crouch as much as the prisoners...this wasn't really Crouch's son's trial, was it?

**Dementors came in escorting four people, the two stand outs being a woman who looked as if she were at her coronation,**

Harry gave a particularly vicious shiver at even the thought of her, his eyes flickering to Sirius and away before he could understand why, but Sirius wasn't the only one. Now his mind was trying to force him to seek out others, like where Hermione and Dobby were, even Neville...then he started to get double vision from too many memories jostling to attention at once, and he snapped it all off before he drove himself crazy.

**and a pale sickly boy with straw colored hair and milk white skin under his freckles.**

Harry's hands were starting to shake, he was starting to look as sickly as that boy was described, but despite the overwhelming since of bad he was getting from this kid he still refused to acknowledge what it could mean, it would cost him too much if he found out now, so he refused to let anyone linger on him and pleadingly waved Remus on, who agreed under duress.

**The wispy little witch beside Crouch began to rock backward and forward in her seat, whimpering into her handkerchief.**

James felt the stirrings of pity taking hold of him, he couldn't even imagine what that woman was going through, having to watch this.

**Crouch began as usual, stating the crimes, but going so far as to state it was the most heinous-**

Harry felt like a live bug was crawling just underneath his skin, the urge to blurt something out about that crime almost overwhelming, he didn't need the pain from his body telling him how bad this was going to get.

**but was nearly cut off by the sick boy screaming in pleading for his father.**

At this point nobody had any doubts, but they weren't any more pleased to realize they were right.

**Crouch ignored him by stating they had evidence that these four had been accused of capturing Alice Longbottom, and her husband Auror Frank.**

"No." Lily hardly heard her own whisper of denial, it came out more like a softly uttered scream. They'd all realized ages ago that Frank and Alice must have died for Neville to have no mention of them, but they'd never wanted to learn how! This, this was so much worse than just hearing about it, they didn't want details!

Remus did not want to keep going, he kept picturing kind faced Alice giggling at their last Order meeting as she and Lily swapped stories about their babies, while Frank and James were bemoaning some already forgotten squabble from a bet they'd made. The Marauders had known those two most of their lives, they'd only been a few years above them in school and were always popular with all the houses. It never hurt any less, but in fact kept getting all the worse the more they realized just how many people were set to die. The only thing that convinced him to keep going was the firm thought that this wasn't true _now._ He would see them again at the next meeting, warn them when they got out of here. They just had to be able to fix this.

**They'd been subjected to the Cruciatus Curse in efforts to find if the Longbottom's had information on You-Know-Who.**

Sirius was entirely certain that whatever research he'd done while he was out, he hadn't learned that tidbit. Otherwise he liked to think he would have passed that part on...but then again maybe not, that was gruesome enough he hardly even wanted to consider thinking about it, he most definitely didn't want to tell his pup about this.

**Crouch's son was still sobbing in chains, trying to plead to his father he hadn't done this, please don't send him back to the dementors!**

James was having a painful internal conflict, thinking if anyone deserved a dementor sentence it was the people who had done that to Frank and Alice, but then he just couldn't see how Crouch did this to his own kid. He couldn't even posture the idea in his own head if that were Harry what he'd do, the idea was too repulsive to even form. He just sat there with a sense of morbid disconnection, wondering how much more he could hear about all of these terrible things before he snapped.

**Still he was ignored as Crouch tried to turn to the jury, but then the boy begged of his mother to stop this, it wasn't him!**

Little marks were appearing on Lily's palms, her nails doing their best to dig past the skin but her hands shaking so bad the shapes weren't exact crescents. She hated Crouch, had never even met Mrs. Crouch, but would not have wished this happening on any person on earth.

**Crouch boomed for the jury to give these crimes a life sentence in Azkaban.**

**In unison, the witches and wizards raised their hands.**

Lily had now only ever heard of two instances with a unanimous vote, and she much preferred the first one she'd heard, this one was going to haunt her for ages.

**The boy began screaming mercilessly, sobbing for help, he hadn't done this!**

Sirius made an inhuman noise, pressing his hand to his ears at the thought. That image swimming back across his mind of having to picture that through the bars of his own cell in Azkaban. He refused to let himself cave again, he would not be weak and just flip forms every time this was brought up, this hadn't even happened to him yet, so he sat there and glared at that stupid book, just daring it to try and make him act like a coward again.

**The dementors were coming back in, unchaining their new life victims, while the woman finally made herself heard as she spoke for all to hear that the Dark Lord would rise again, and he would come for them all. Azkaban would not keep them apart, and they would be rewarded for their faithful service.**

'I'm sure that'll be a great comfort to the lunatic who tortures his followers,' Remus mentally snarled at this depraved soul, but he was tired, and he wanted this more than any other to fade into a different memory already.

**The boy tried one more time, kicking and screaming to Crouch that he couldn't do this, he was his son!**

**Crouch returned he had no son.**

And here they'd actually thought they couldn't hate Crouch more, look how wrong they were. Desperation could be very motivating, they really had no proof one way or the other if that kid was involved with the Longbottom's, he could be saying this to keep himself away from the dementors, but no one really believed it in that moment, that was just too heartbreaking to have really come from a man's mouth.

**The woman at his side lost herself, and fainted. Crouch gave no notice.**

Lily had always stopped whatever she was doing to try and offer help, comfort, support, whatever she could whenever she saw anyone in pain...but she couldn't even begin to form something for a mother in that position. Crouch's lack of any clear caring when it came to his wife any more than his son just made the man all the more despicable.

**Crouch ordered them to be taken away, and let them rot.**

Harry had to take a slow, deep breath. He was convinced that feeling wringing his gut was the tragedy of this situation, not something to counter what Crouch had said, why this all felt so important to him...

**Amidst the passing screams, a quiet voice in Harry's ear told him it was time to go.**

Remus had been reading on autopilot so long just to force himself to get past all this, he almost read right over that without realizing it. Now he did a double take, and almost sobbed he was so relieved to finally be focusing on anything new.

**Harry startled, looking at the Dumbledore beside him who was still watching the proceedings, but then on his other side was another Dumbledore looking directly at him.**

Sirius worked furiously with himself for a moment, his mind scrambling for any stupid joke he could throw out just for even a second's relief as he settled on "Hey look, Moony gets to prove his earlier point, twelve years doesn't make a difference to that guy!"

It wasn't actually funny, that particular time frame only served as a reminder for Sirius' actual sentence, but he was reward by at least pretend smiles.

**Dumbledore caught Harry's arm, he had the odd sensation of performing a backflip through nothing, and suddenly they were in Dumbledore's office again.**

Harry was more than happy to finally be away from that place and think on anything else, like that feeling he'd had earlier about this Pensieve. Now he was all the more convinced he was indeed experiencing Deja vu' with his headmaster pulling him out of it.

**Harry began apologizing at once for being in there, but Dumbledore merely said he understood.**

"Does anything make this guy mad?" James muttered, his fingers tapping out a fast rhythm on his knee to get out some nerves. He was happy Harry wasn't in trouble of course, but the underwhelming response still deserved a comment.

**Dumbledore took the basin out of the cabinet and brought it over to be set on his desk, while Harry took a chair and asked what it was.**

**Dumbledore explained it was a Pensieve, and all its properties.**

"Do you still have the memories when they're not in your head?" Harry asked as his mind tried to comprehend this.

"You're aware the events still happened," Lily agreed, "but you can't access the actual memory, like there's a blanket over it."

**Dumbledore liked to use this method to find patterns and links.**

"So did I just fall into the most recent memories Dumbledore was looking at?" Harry kept asking for more, his mind finally trying to settle at ease with everything he'd just heard.

Hearing Harry talk was also a more pleasant reminder than anything else they were thinking of, which is why James was more than happy to tell Harry he was right and be happy when he asked for more.

"How does this thing even work? How do you pull memories out, and can you put them into any bowl to make it a Pensieve?"

"Sadly not. It takes some skilled magic to learn to pull memories, and then you have to craft the basin from certain materials, imbed it with some charms and brew a potion in it before it'll contain memories. These aren't particularly common objects, bloody expensive to buy and just as much work to make."

Harry thanked him and let the matter go for now so that the chapter could continue, even if he was sure these Pensieve memories would pop up again.

**Harry was surprised to learn the swirling material he was watching the bowl was thoughts.**

**Dumbledore agreed, and did a demonstration, placing his wand to his forehead, and coming away with another silvery wisp of no substance. He added it to the bowl, causing it to begin swirling again, before solidifying into Harry's face, which morphed into Snape.**

"Well that was just insulting," Sirius scoffed.

**His voice echoed as if from the bottom of a cave as the Snape spoke to Dumbledore about Karkaroff's too, it was becoming stronger and clearer than ever.**

"Isn't that what Karkaroff said about the thing on his arm?" Remus frowned, his own fear rearing up every time this was mentioned which kept happening more and more frequently. "I don't suppose Dumbledore knows what 'it' is."

"Here's hoping we find out," James grumbled.

**That faded back into more swirls of silver, while Dumbledore continued addressing Harry. He'd been looking through his Pensieve when he'd been interrupted by Fudge, so had rather carelessly closed the door.**

**Harry again muttered he was sorry for finding it anyways, while Dumbledore gently said curiosity was not a sin, but it should be used with caution.**

"I swear Dumbledore's the only man on earth who wouldn't be at least slightly mad to find a kid snooping through his stuff," Lily smiled.

Harry agreed absently, rubbing at his arm as he wondered if perhaps this wasn't the only time he'd been caught doing this...

**Dumbledore was continuing to prod the surface of his object with his wand, and next revealed a plump girl of sixteen, scowling at nothing in here as she went on about someone hexing her to Professor Dumbledore, but she'd only been teasing them about kissing Florence.**

**Dumbledore whispered to the memory why Bertha had been following them in the first place.**

They all felt another harsh twitching feeling at that blunt reminder someone else was dead.

**Harry was shocked that was Bertha Jorkins?**

**Dumbledore agreed as much, he'd been her Headmaster at school.**

**The surface of the Pensieve was silver and reflective again, as Dumbledore's face hovered over the contents, it first struck Harry how old his headmaster was.**

Remus finally cracked and began really laughing again, which felt good when they all joined in after such a heavy chapter. It wasn't even that funny, but it was still better than staying depressed.

**Harry knew of course the man was hardly young, but it he had never registered as anything old before now.**

**Dumbledore caught Harry's attention, prompting him that before he'd got lost in Dumbledore's thoughts,**

"There's a sentence you don't hear every day," Sirius kept forcing himself to snicker just a few beats longer.

**he'd come up here to tell something?**

Harry groaned and slumped back into the couch as once again all humor was swept out of the room, no one wanted to remember this anymore than those bleeding court rooms.

**Harry began by saying he'd fallen asleep in Divination,**

"I suppose that's not the best way to start a conversation," James agreed mildly.

**but then stuttered in embarrassment as he wondered if he was going to get told off for that.**

**Dumbledore merely nodded, saying this was understandable, and please continue.**

"Don't ever let me say Dumbledore doesn't have a sense of humor," Sirius shook his head ruefully.

**Harry did, beginning with the news that Voldemort had been torturing Wormtail**

Remus barely got that out as an understandable word, but they all knew what he meant as well as Dumbledore did.

**and Harry launched into all the details he'd seen, ending with the pain in his scar waking him up.**

"We don't usually have to relive the actual experience a second time," Lily muttered bitterly. "I much prefer when the book starts glossing."

"You and me both," Remus sourly agreed.

**Dumbledore kept staring, and Harry finished that he was done.**

"Round of applause for my dear pup," Sirius nodded ostentatiously, it felt better than swearing death threats for now. "You really know how to finish a grand tale with such extreme fluency."

"Don't ever let Sirius tell you he doesn't have a flare for the dramatics," James muttered at Harry's side, wishing he could put more life into the joke but that wasn't coming for now.

**Dumbledore hummed for a moment, before asking Harry if this was the only other one he'd had besides over the summer?**

**Harry began to agree, before asking in surprise how Dumbledore knew about that one?**

"Guess your idea was right Padfoot, you are keeping in contact with Dumbledore," Remus sighed tragically at having to admit his friend was right about anything.

Sirius caught the joke and immediately sprung back with, "so if you're going to admit I was right about that, how about the time-"

James chucked a pillow at him that smacked him right in the face and Remus happily kept going.

**Dumbledore pointed out Harry wasn't Sirius' only correspondent, pointing out he'd been keeping track of Sirius since he'd left, and it had been his suggestion Harry's godfather take residence in the caves.**

"I'm assuming this would have happened after Sirius had already announced he was back in the area," Lily raised a sharp brow. "Surely Dumbledore would have warned you as much as we did what a stupid idea it is to be back at all."

"You're just so full of love woman," Sirius sighed as he chucked the pillow back at his friend in retaliation. "How do you do it?"

**Silence rung for a few heavy minutes before Harry asked if Dumbledore knew why his scar hurt?**

Remus heard a choking noise from one of his friends, but he was so eager to hope that Dumbledore would explain he didn't acknowledge who from.

**Dumbledore watched Harry thoughtfully before beginning it was only a theory, but his idea was that Harry felt this pain when Voldemort was near him, or had a strong surge of hatred.**

Remus felt the book slip from numb fingers as he heard from a long ways off, "but, why!?"

Harry was shaking his head slowly from side to side, an innate buzzing in his ear the only answer he could hear for his mother's desperate question.

"I, just, never heard of anything like this," James pressed a frustrated fist to his temple in his agitation for not having a single reason why this could be happening to his son. It was stupid, but he somehow felt as much of a failure as Crouch for not being able to help out his only child in even one way, to give an actual useful answer to this.

"Don't beat yourself up too much Prongs," Sirius tried for a comforting voice even as he wiggled in place in his spot with nerves. "Harry is the only known person to survive the killing curse, I suppose that would come with ah, well special...I don't even know, that kind of relates to, the monster who did it..." he trailed off as even he couldn't keep trying to put any kind of good spin on this.

"Keep going Remus," Lily tried to wave him on even as he was already flipping back through pages for his spot, "if Dumbledore said that, he may explain more."

**Harry asked why, and Dumbledore reminded that wasn't an ordinary scar, he was connected to Voldemort through it.**

Remus looked up in exasperation to show that was all they were going to get.

"Oh, gee thanks, tell us what we already worked out," Sirius fumed while James and Harry both slumped in disappointment.

**Harry asked if that dream had been real then?**

"Sadly nobody was questioning that part," Harry grumbled, though he'd have liked a no for an answer to that the most.

**Dumbledore agreed that was more than probable. Then he asked if Harry had actually seen Voldemort?**

**Harry said no, just the chair he'd been in, but confused as to how he'd held a wand?**

"What wand is he even using?" Remus' face squidged up in sudden confusion. "Surely he doesn't still have his own?"

Lily had actually been nursing that question since the first chapter, when first mention of torture had appeared for the rat, but she had no want of speaking it aloud then any more than she wanted to answer now, but there was no sense in ignoring it either. "I've two ideas, neither of which I'm particularly fond of. One, it could be Bertha's, it would have been taken from her when she was captured. Two, his ah, well that-" her face flushed with frustration as she had no idea how to refer to the thing that ruined her life, but they knew what she meant anyways, "stole a wand along the way."

"I can see why you're not fond of the ideas," James said slowly, keeping eyes on his wife instead of closing them and crying again. "But they're good ideas, so give yourself some credit."

"They were my ideas, why wouldn't I get all the credit?" She shot back in a weak attempt at her joshing tone.

"You never would have had such brilliant thinking if not for our influence," James stated, going for as grand a tone as he could. "So you deserve twenty five percent at least."

The couple actually smiled at each other again, it was likely under any other circumstances this would have circled into a full blown tease between the two, while the other three were actually chuckling when Remus kept going.

**Dumbledore agreed that was a puzzling thought, how indeed Voldemort had a body.**

**Harry asked if he was really getting stronger then?**

"He's gone from sticking out of the back of a guy's head, to having his own body, so sadly I'm inclined to say yes," Lily seethed, kicking her frustrations on their lack of answers about her boy onto anything and everything mentioning Voldemort.

**Dumbledore began by saying this was all his own suspicions, but stated the tale of the first war, how it had all started with disappearances as well. Now this time first Bertha, then Crouch, and one that Dumbledore found just as intriguing but the Ministry was taking no notice of. A Muggle named Frank Bryce had disappeared where Voldemort's father had grown up sometime in August.**

"While we all know that to be true," Remus cocked his head to the side, "why is Dumbledore putting Frank in this?"

"Remember how we thought that place was connected to Voldemort's family, Riddle," Lily reminded, stuttering a bit at the unpleasant reminder. "Well we were right, that was his dad, so it wouldn't surprise me to learn Dumbledore's keeping an eye on the place for any odd instances, and this certainly counts."

**Dumbledore looked very seriously at Harry.**

"Now I know he can't look anything like me," Sirius painted a smirk in place, never growing tired that Harry got out a laugh every time.

**Telling Harry that the Ministry disagreed with all of his findings being linked together, as he may have heard outside this door.**

**Harry nodded his agreement while he considered leaving, but curiosity kept him in place.**

"Right, might as well get all your questions in now," James sighed, at least Dumbledore was marginally answering them. In all honestly it was possibly even unfair to blame Dumbledore on his lack of knowledge on a subject he wanted the answer to so bad.

**First he asked of the trial he'd been found in, if the Longbottom family Crouch had spoken of was Neville's parents?**

Remus let out every bit of pain in that sigh, what he wouldn't give for at least that answer to be no.

**Dumbledore seemed surprised Neville had never mentioned why he was brought up by his grandmother?**

"Well that's not something I'd exactly parade around saying," Sirius muttered.

**Harry shook his head, kicking himself he'd never once asked his doormate in all four years.**

"I'd be a little more sharp with you if you had," Lily shook her head, "it's not a polite thing to ask why anybody is living with who they are."

**Dumbledore explained that Frank had been an Auror, and he and his wife had been tortured for information regarding the whereabouts of Voldemort.**

**Harry whispered that they were dead, which Dumbledore denied.**

"Wait, what?" They yelped in shock.

Remus ignored them, his mind scattering as he tried to understand what Dumbledore could mean even as he ignored them and his own mind to get the answer.

**His voice was full of a bitterness Harry had never heard before.**

Lily felt a sharp whimper tearing at the nerves in her throat, already she knew she wasn't going to be able to handle hearing this.

**They were now insane.**

"I-no they- what?!" Sirius wasn't entirely sure he'd said that in words, but the meaning was clear. How long did someone have to endure the Cruciates to become insane! When they'd hear the actual charges, they'd all just thought the two people had died of pain, which in itself was the definition of horrible, but this!

Remus didn't even want to keep going. He'd heard of some despicable things in his life one person could do to another, but torture to insanity was a new shade even for him. It was getting harder all the time to just keep telling himself it was all okay because it hadn't happened yet. He wasn't nearly as close to Alice and Frank as he was Sirius, and this hurt damn near as much to think about. They were only a few years older than them, why wouldn't these tragedies stop!

Lily's warm hand reached out and traced one of the lingering bruises he'd inflicted on himself to get his attention while whispering, "I know, if I could have them here or have a way to make anything better right now I would, but we've got to get through this to do that."

It was all the comfort she could offer, at least giving the boys something left to keep going.

**They were currently housed in a permanent ward at St. Mungo's, Neville was known to visit them with his grandmother on holidays, but they didn't even recognize him.**

Harry never would believe he'd actually hear of someone else's parents, and actually think they were worse off than him, but this did it. He may have never met his parents, and he'd never actually thought of them dying protecting him as a good thing, but it was certainly some comfort to his life to at least know they cared. Neville had to look them in the face, and not even be recognized? He couldn't imagine a worse curse as he gazed at his own.

**Harry sat there, horror-struck. He had never known . . . never, in four years, bothered to find out. . .**

Harry half wished he didn't know now, how could he ever say anything to Neville about it. Anything like the word sorry would just feel meaningless in light of something like this.

**Dumbledore continued saying how popular the Longbottom's had been socially, the capture of the people who had done it put a lot of strain on the Ministry. The Longbottom's had not been able to give their own testimony do to their condition.**

**Harry asked if Crouch's son had really been a part of that?**

Harry felt a dark swirl of emotions clouding his mind, one that he had no want at all to look at. Whatever the true answer to that question was his mind was trying to show him, it wouldn't make what had happened any better.

**Dumbledore had no idea for that answer.**

**Harry still had two questions lingering in his mind, but they involved two living people, so he was hesitant to ask about for Bagman- which Dumbledore quickly said was never accused of any Dark crimes again.**

"There, was that so hard to actually duel out good news for once," Sirius muttered under his breath for his ears alone, he really didn't think he could force another joke now without biting off his tongue.

**His mind lingered on his last question as he eyed the Pensieve for thought, but it seemed to be asking his question for him.**

"That can happen," Remus answered at once, not caring if Harry had been fixing to ask or not, he just needed to babble for a moment. "Pensieves are magical objects that are very likely to pick up on your train of thought and try to offer up its contents to help, hence why Dumbledore said they were so useful in finding patterns, sometimes the object itself helps you out."

The others watched patiently until he'd babbled himself into silence and forced himself to continue.

**Snape's face was again at the surface, and Dumbledore added on Snape was never looked at again.**

"The moment I buy that, I'll eat Hickory," James scoffed.

"Don't drag my cat into this," Lily scolded absently, her mind wanting to hover on that more than anyone, yet she was just as tired and ready for this chapter to be over as anyone. They'd just had a break at the beginning of this one, but it was already getting so tiring she was considering calling it quits for the night.

**Harry kept watching Dumbledore in hopes for more, but when none came Harry asked what had made Dumbledore believe Snape wasn't on Voldemort's side?**

**Dumbledore didn't hesitate to say that was between him and his Professor.**

All four boys scoffed in disbelief and annoyance at Harry being withheld that answer, only Lily not able to feel any bad for it. While she truly did want to know, more than all of the boys put together most likely, she also respected that was true and not entirely their place.

**Harry considered himself dismissed and got up to leave, but Dumbledore gave one last word of caution, not to go discussing the events of Neville's parents to anyone.**

"I wouldn't have!" Harry said indignantly at once. "That's private, I've had enough of people's private stuff going around."

"Not even Ron and Hermione?" James asked softly, as he thought that's what Dumbledore had really meant.

Harry deflated at that, opened then closed his mouth, and didn't respond. In truth he didn't want to tell his friends this, but he could also see himself wanting to share it with them just to get the image off his own chest a bit. Now with Dumbledore's warning in mind, Harry was entirely certain he wouldn't even do that.

**Harry promised he wouldn't, but as his hand was on the door to leave, Dumbledore added one last thing, good luck with his final task.**

"Oh thank you for that lovely reminder," Lily scowled hatefully as she took the book, wondering what the odds were she'd get skipped on that.

* * *

I really don't like touchy feely emotional scenes, and they crop up a lot, and I don't really think I'm good at them because they all feel forced and phoned in when I'm editing them, and I apologize for that. Hope you like the rest of the chapter...

For those of you who were hoping I'd slip in a Dr. Who joke this chapter regarding Jr., sorry, I don't watch the show, so not only am I really scarce on material, but it's also a really emotional and bad time for a joke in general.

Don't forget folks, if you don't have me on author alert, be sure to check out my profile tomorrow for a really special treat I hope you all love!

* Love the head canon maana999 offered about it being Scamander to have given Dumbledore Fawkes in thanks for sticking up for him, but I doubt I'll be able to work it into this fic since no one knows Scamander.

*I found some really conflicting answers on this, some reports say up to eight hundred, some only go up to two, which is why my answer's so vague. Even JK is at it again with her own conflicting math, saying one time Dumbledore was 150, but another saying he was born in 1881 so he would have died at either 115, or 116. Though to be fair, he was either to be murdered or killed by that ring, so maybe she meant to say he could have lived to be 150...If ever I find something more definitive I'll either slip it in in the future or go back and correct this.


	32. THE THIRD TASK

To Guest: You're welcome, I always strive to get back to every reviewer, guest or not!

To...other Guest. You'll know which is which if you read the reviews: Sadly, no Peter for the duration of reading, and I'm not spoiling for anything farther than that.

* * *

Lily sat there, fidgeting in unease before she forced herself to start her chapter, but at least there was the comfort that the last task coming up would be the last of it.

Noticing his wife's hesitation, James gave her the chance to stall for a few moments more as he called to Sirius, "you going to sulk over there all day?" He wanted Sirius in easy smacking distance if he found an excuse to use his name pun again.

Sirius stretched leisurely, eyed his mate for the tone, but then got to his feet and decided it was worth the risk as he flopped back on Harry's side and declared, "Who's sulking? Just because I don't want to sit by your ugly mug all day."

"You've tragically put up with it for years," Remus reminded, "I think you can stand it a little while longer."

Lily actually managed a giggle at the boys picking as she began.

**Ron asked if Dumbledore really thought You-Know-Who was getting stronger?**

"Why do we keep starting these chapters with Ron recounting stuff?" Lily sighed. "I'd be much happier listening to you all discuss your Charms homework."

"Glad you would," James wrinkled his nose, "I'd rather keep talking about all the ways to get Snape out of that school."

**Harry had just finished recounting his Pensieve event to his friends, after first writing it all and sending it to Sirius.**

"Finally," Sirius gave a dramatic sniff, "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me."

"How could I ever do such a thing?" Harry demanded back in exasperation, "you keep talking in my ear about how important you are."

"He learns fast," Remus snickered.

**The three had been sitting around ever since exchanging all the knowledge they'd gained this year, and Harry's head finally understood what Dumbledore meant about wanting to siphon a bit off.**

"You're fourteen, you shouldn't have to know what that feels like yet," Lily sighed.

"I don't know, I had the most thoughts in my head when I hit that age," Sirius smirked.

Lily kept reading, loudly, before she had to hear any more about that.

**Ron was mostly stuck on the fact that Dumbledore trusted Snape, though he'd been confirmed as a Death Eater.**

**Hermione hadn't spoken for a time while Harry and Ron spoke, her head bent towards her knees as she looked like she could do with a Pensieve as well. Her first words were Rita Skeeter.**

James began laughing raucously at once, bright eyes shining as he said, "I'm just so glad Hermione has her priorities in line."

"You ever worry about Hermione becoming a wee bit obsessed?" Remus snickered.

"What, her? No, never," Sirius' tone was going to bleed him out of sarcasm with that one sentence.

**Ron demanded how she could be worrying about her?**

"Worry is the wrong word," Lily shook her head.

**Hermione corrected she was thinking about what Skeeter, and Winky had said about what they knew about Bagman. That Death Eater trial where he'd been accused must be it.**

"You guys put that stuff together so much faster," Harry sighed.

"Helps to have more than one genius in the room," Sirius smirked.

"Hey!" Harry yelped.

**Ron asked if Fudge really thought Maxime had been the one to get rid of Crouch, and Harry agreed Fudge had said so, while Ron did acknowledge they'd never considered her before, and she did have giant blood and didn't want to admit it.**

"Well yes, but that doesn't actually have anything to do with Crouch," James rolled his eyes at Ron trying to put every mundane thing together.

**Hermione said she didn't blame her, look at what happened to Hagrid, but that didn't mean she had motive. Hermione would lie as well.**

"I'll give her that," Lily nodded fairly, "it's practically suicide in this day and age just to go around saying you're a Muggleborn, but I still don't think that gives you the right to throw other people under the bus to protect yourself."

"We don't know that's what Maxime did," Harry sighed in defense of her.

"True, but we can't think of any other ways Rita's getting these interviews without a first person account," Sirius' scowl didn't lessen one bit.

**Then Hermione checked her watch and began scolding them all at once for not having done any practice tonight, they'd have to work extra hard tomorrow on their curses. Then she ordered Harry off to bed.**

Harry'd made the joke before, but it really was something to hear his friend try to mother him while his mother read that.

**While Harry crawled into bed, his eyes flickered over to Neville in the adjacent one. True to his promise, he had not mentioned that lone part about his parents.**

Lily's voice hitched into unrecognizable as she forced that out, her hands trembling slightly along the pages as she couldn't get the image of Alice screaming in pain out of her head.

**Harry had often received sympathy for being an orphan, but Harry thought Neville deserved it more for having parents that were alive and didn't even recognize him.**

"I really don't think anyone should be deciding who gets more sympathy for what they go through in life," James sighed. "You just happen to be slightly more public, but I can almost guarantee if Neville didn't have his scary grandmother around him outside of school, he'd be getting the same thing." His mind lingered on how well known and liked the Longbottoms were, and even Dumbledore saying how the public had been whipped into a panic of what happened to them. It was just as likely the people in that day knew Neville's name as well as Harry's, though he could believe not the other kids their age.

**As Harry drifted off to sleep, he thought of all the people that continued to be harmed by the Death Eaters; the Longbottoms, Crouch's son. It was all Voldemort's doing, his existence that continued ruining all these lives.**

"It can help to look at the big picture," Remus sighed in agreement.

**Ron and Hermione were supposed to be studying for their exams,**

"Almost forgot you got exempt from those," Remus said in surprise.

"I didn't," Sirius rolled his eyes, "it's so far the only good thing that's come of this mess."

**which would finish on the day of the third task, but they were putting most of their efforts into helping Harry prepare.**

"I really love your friends," Lily smiled sweetly.

"As do I," James agreed, "but I don't know why you bring this up now. I'd do anything to stop studying for exams, helping out my friend is just a bonus."

**When Harry tried to convince them of this, Hermione just brushed him off, saying this was just extra studying for their DADA class.**

Sirius mock gasped in outrage, "how dare Hermione equate practicing useful spells to learning in a classroom, I'm shamed for her."

"I'll pass the message along," Harry chuckled.

**Ron agreed this was all good training for when they all became Aurors, while managing to Impediment a wasp buzzing around.**

They were all genuinely impressed at that skill, not just anyone could hit a moving target small as a bug.

"I'm believing that more and more as this goes on," James chuckled as he looked to Harry. "You really think you go on to do that?" He emphasized the word think so as not to upset Harry.

He mulled it over for a bit, but only gave a small smile for an answer while saying, "I can see it, but I don't know if that's just me at fourteen still seeing it."

"So how many Auror noses have you seen to change your opinion?" Remus smirked.

Harry chuckled lightly at the joke again, though he did somehow wonder if he ever did meet other Aurors besides Mad-Eye?

**The mood in the castle couldn't be more excited as everyone was looking forward to the last task a week before school ended.**

Despite the nerves coloring her tone, there was also some palpable relief mixed in. Finally the last task, this really should be the end of their big worries the rest of this year. It didn't matter how stupid it was to be afraid of these things looking at her full grown boy, those tasks were a nightmare.

**Harry was practicing hexes at every available moment.**

"On who exactly?" James asked innocently. "Just so we can keep track is all."

"Harry doesn't go around doing that like some people," Lily snapped at him before Harry could respond.

James rolled his eyes, but Harry blinked at the pair in surprise. It was foolish to think James hadn't cursed Snape at some point with all the animosity they'd been throwing around, and yes they'd admitted several times now to pranks, a few of which had some bad results, but just how often did his dad go around cursing people for the fun of it? It sounded more like something Malfoy would do for kicks? He'd really always put his mother's comments like that down to her exasperation, but the more she said it, the more sure he was she wasn't really exaggerating.

**He was walking into this third task more confident than he ever had for the others as he realized Moody was right, he had faced barriers and enchantments like this before, and he'd even had time to prepare for these.**

Harry was immediately distracted by wanting to laugh at his younger self for being an idiot. Something about this task was going to go horribly wrong, he'd been thinking that from day one of rehearing about this, and he still had no clue what.

**McGonagall had quickly grown tired of walking in on the three practicing in empty classrooms, and so had allowed them to be using hers while she wasn't.**

"Sounds like McGonagall," Sirius nodded along. "Tries to hide her act of helpfulness by saying it annoyed her otherwise."

**Harry had quickly mastered a plethora of useful Curses, as well as a handy find called the Four-Point spell, which pointed him north and would help him find his way along in the maze. Now all he was struggling with was his Shield Charm.**

"That's a common tricky one," Remus agreed, "instead of one burst of energy to blast a spell, you're expected to hold it up and linger on the magic, very hard for people to learn to adapt to."

**He was still stumbling around after Hermione's Jelly-Legs Jinx got through his.**

"Now see, wouldn't wiggling ears be better than that," James smirked.

**Ron was hovering by the window going over some new lists of spells, and called them over to have a look at Malfoy.**

"Nothing good," all the boys muttered at once.

**They peaked down and saw Malfoy and his usual cronies all huddled under a tree, Crabbe and Goyle apparently keeping watch and smirking.**

"Definitely not good," Sirius corrected.

**Malfoy was holding his hand up to his mouth and speaking into it.**

Harry's eyes narrowed behind his glasses, for some reason he was convinced now more than ever Malfoy was talking to an electronic bug, no matter how impossible Hermione said it could be, but why now though? What could Malfoy be doing down there?

**Harry guessed he was using a walkie-talkie from the looks of it.**

"What's that?" James asked eagerly.

"You talk into one end, and you can hear someone on the other end," Remus shrugged, "good for long distance type things, but they do have a range shorter than a telephone."

"That sounds brilliant," at once his eyes gleamed, and they could all guess what he was immediately thinking before he said it. "Wish we had those at school, would have come in real handy."

"Sadly, as I'm sure Hermione's fixing to remind, it wouldn't have done us any good," Sirius sighed.

**Hermione again repeated how those wouldn't work here, and then told Harry he had to get back to work on that Shield Charm.**

"But we were actually having fun spying on Malfoy instead of vice versa for a change," Sirius sighed.

**Sirius was sending daily owls now.**

"I am biting my tongue not to make a mother hen joke at you right now," Remus snickered.

Sirius sighed and grumbled a bit, but knew he would have taken it in stride if anyone had, he both deserved it, and thought he was in the right to be doing so as well as everyone else. Even Harry couldn't be too annoyed at his paranoid Godfather, the constant mail and worry was the most support and worry he'd ever got in his life.

**They were all filled with warnings to concentrate on getting out of this task and leave everything else for afterwards because it wasn't his responsibility or in his power to do anything for now.**

"I don't really think that part was necessary though," James had a fixed smile in place as he really wanted to snap at Sirius for overstepping his bounds, and then having to remind himself Sirius was the only one there setting those bounds. "He's not like you, he doesn't think the outside world revolves around him as much as that castle."

Sirius laughed because he knew he was supposed to, but no one could miss the catch of annoyance in James' voice. To be honest it was the first time Harry noticed it though, and he felt like an idiot it had taken him this long to realize his dad might be jealous of Sirius doing all this. He wasn't really sure what to say though, it felt like an empty promise to tell someone they couldn't be replaced when he'd never met him before, while it would also be downplaying how much he really was touched at everything Sirius did for him.

**Sirius promised that after this was all over, they could put their attention on other matters.**

"What other matters?" Remus couldn't help but ask even if it didn't help the odd lingering silence in the room. "What exactly do you plan to do with him once this task is over, take him Voldemort hunting?"

"Nah," Sirius waved him off, "more like take him into the forest and give him some survival skills, that seems like much more fun."

"The worst part is, I can't decide if either of you are kidding," Lily muttered as she decided to ignore them both.

**Harry was starting to grow uneasy the closer the date began, but it wasn't nearly so bad as the previous two. At least this one he'd done everything possible to be prepared for.**

"To be fair, I still don't see how you could have been 'prepared' for the first task. You weren't given anything to work with," James pointed out to sketch out his own feelings.

"Least with this one I wasn't having crazy time jump skips," Harry shrugged, "it finally felt, I don't know, final."

There was something about the way he said that that gave them all a deep chill that even Harry didn't seem aware, he had a faraway look in his eyes when he finished.

**The best part was, this was the final one. Good or bad, after this it would all be over.**

"There's the bright side," Lily said with forced chipper that didn't seem to get through to anyone, not even herself.

**Breakfast of the morning gave Harry a special treat, Sirius had sent him an extra good luck note. It was only a muddy paw print on a page, but Harry smiled as he tucked it away.**

Sirius covered the happy feeling that gave him with a snort of mirth, telling Harry, "always good to know what you appreciate, just let me nip out into the rain right quick and I'll be back with a whole room full of mud."

"You'll do no such thing," Lily said at once without looking up, "I haven't forgiven you for singing my rug yet."

Sirius blanched and sat very far back in his seat, dang, she had noticed.

**An owl arrived with Hermione's Daily Prophet, and while she began unfolding it and taking a sip of her drink, she quickly spat that in surprise.**

"That's an encouraging start!" Remus went bug eyed at once, all of them feeling like jumping out of their seat at once in panic.

**Both boys tried to ask what was going on even as she tried to tuck it away,**

"Exactly how believable does she think that is?" James demanded faintly.

**but Ron was quicker and took it away. His first words were to call someone a cow.**

**Harry at once guessed Skeeter, while Ron tried for a no more effective plan of putting the paper out of Harry's sights.**

Sirius actually did laugh, Harry really had the best friends who were far more alike than they ever would have admitted aloud, both thinking that would work.

**Harry was in no way surprised as he guessed it was about him, while both answered no in the same unconvincing tone.**

"Should we be worried they're compulsive liars?" Remus rolled his eyes, still forcing himself to remain in his seat rather than trying to take a peek over Lily's shoulder already and find out what this was.

**Harry hadn't a chance to argue anymore as Malfoy called from the Slytherin table about how Harry was going to go berserk on them any moment.**

"Err," Harry muttered in surprise. Malfoy had used a lot of lame insults on him, but that had certainly come out of nowhere.

"Oh just tell your friends to give you the paper already," Lily scowled hatefully, "might as well get it over with."

"It's not like he can avoid it," James regretfully agreed.

**Malfoy had his own copy of the paper in his hands, and all along the table Slytherins were laughing and pointing at their heads and casting Harry looks.**

"To be fair, the whole hall was actually looking at me that way," Harry grumbled, "Malfoy just somehow has this way of spotlighting his table."

Lily gave him a small smile for that, happy to see he really didn't just single out that house.

**Ron finally handed over the paper and Harry read the headline "Potter Disturbed and Dangerous"**

Lily could already tell someone was wanting to interrupt her with a splurge of anger, but though red faced and furious herself at just the start, she forced out.

**Rita Skeeter began her report by stating their Boy Who Lived could possibly be unstable.**

"Gets right to the bleeding point with this one," Remus said through gritted teeth.

**Evidence had begun appearing about Potter's strange behavior, casting doubts on his suitability to compete in the Triwizard Tournament,**

"No one was arguing he shouldn't be in the Tournament!" Sirius blasted.

"Though for completely different reasons than this," Harry shook his head in disgust.

**or even to attend Hogwarts.**

"Oi!" Harry shouted indignantly at once at that one. Taking digs at him was one thing, but to say he shouldn't even be allowed at his favorite place on earth!

**There were reports of him regularly collapsing at school and complaints of head pain resonating from his scar, an old relic of You-Know-Who's attempts on Harry's life.**

"Someone in your Divination class really went and told about this?" Sirius barked in disgust.

"But, they're all, well I mean, not one of those kids should have a reason to," James face was coloring with hurt for his son.

"Well someone blabbed," Lily spat.

**Monday Potter had even been unable to complete one of his Divination lessons, the reporter had witnessed him storming out.**

"Witnessed?" They all parroted.

"She can't mean that one, it must be an exaggerated detail," Remus said at once. "There's no way she's following you around the school, even if she was using an Invisibility Cloak, someone should have caught her, or something."

"Maybe she's just not doing it anywhere near Moody's class," James offered without hope, as Sirius immediately pointed out the very flaw he'd been thinking in that.

"It still doesn't explain some of her earlier times, like Hermione and Krum, where Moody confirmed Skeeter wasn't anywhere around. She must be using the same method to hear all of this, how many tools can she have?"

"I guess, Remus is right," Lily sounded far too regretful to be saying that in Remus' opinion, "she must have made that detail up to give credibility."

"Or hide her source," Sirius scowled, still thinking an eyewitness to this was the most likely.

Harry chose not to confirm, or deny any of this for fear of the pain it would cause, but he couldn't deny even to himself how sure he was they were wrong, Skeeter had been there...

**Skeeter had even interviewed some Medics from St. Mungo's, who had offered another suggestion that the original attack may just be causing some delusions of pain.**

Lily was spluttering in shock and hatred before she could even get that all out.

"How the bloody hell would anyone know that!" Remus snarled. "Dumbledore doesn't even know what's going on with Harry's scar, who are they to say what could be affecting him?"

"With any luck it's more of Skeeter making everything up to fit her story," Harry sighed to try and curb them all just a bit, he was still far more distracted with the upcoming task to really bring himself to care about whatever Skeeter said about him.

**One even agreed he could be pretending all of this for attention.**

James snarled in outrage for that one! Harry hadn't had any say in this article being posted, had hardly mentioned to any more than four people of this pain, who was anyone to call his son that!

Harry did feel an echo of that being said to him before though, and wondered just how popular this article became, how many people believed he'd become attention seeking? Why would they!

**The Daily Prophet had found even more facts to be released to the public that Albus Dumbledore never had.**

"Because it's private information!" Sirius howled in outrage, already more than sick of watching this ruin his friend's life, now his little pup was next. "Where does this woman get off putting anything about Harry's life without his say so?"

"I think the Muggles have some laws against that," Lily seethed, "and I really want to start looking into it. Normally we have spells that detect when lies are being told about someone on print, and then you have to sign something saying it's not being used for educational purposes if that happens to your work. Clearly the Daily Prophet does not endorse that, and new laws need to be put in place so they do."

"Lockhart found a way around those," Remus reminded, "if he can, I'd believe anyone can."

"I will fund that project," James vowed.

**Draco Malfoy had confirmed Potter spoke Parseltongue,**

"I'm honestly surprised he's waited so long to tell the press," Harry sighed. "As much as he likes to brag of his father's connections."

"Guess it didn't occur to him until this year how much fun it could be," James thought his face was going to get stuck in that scowl and he still couldn't change it.

Remus was frowning in confusion though, thinking there was no way it was a coincidence Malfoy had been spotted doing something certainly not good, and only a few days later this was coming up. What on earth had Malfoy been doing that day that connected to Skeeter now knowing this?

**and there had been a lot of attacks in their second year that all seemed to revolve around Potter who was known for easily losing his temper. It was all hushed up, but this had all come from the same guy who was friends with a giant and a werewolf.**

Remus felt himself flush as that really registered. It had never occurred to him what his even talking to Harry could do to him publicly. Not that Harry had ever showed he cared about that, but it certainly wasn't comforting when Remus realized he seemed to have done Harry far more harm than good his one year there, his one lone helpful bit was something that any competent teacher could have taught him after all- "ouch! Merlin's shit Sirius, that hurt!"

Sirius said nothing back, his face absolutely clear saying he'd do worse if Remus started a guilt trip for this, he didn't even tuck his wand away as Lily uneasily kept going.

**The article briefly explains what Parseltongue is, and how it was known for only being done by those of Dark Arts.**

Harry sighed as he remembered back to even how his family had looked at him when they'd first found out about this, and had no delusions there wasn't a person left on earth who now wouldn't consider him some freak.

"I think it's cool," his dad surprised him by saying with a sniffy voice. "No matter how he got it, I'll give him credit for something unique. People are just jealous."

"I'm so sure that's it," Sirius snickered on his other side, "in fact, you'd think Harry would get some thanks for this, he could start his own service. Any time you have a snake problem, just call Harry, he'll come over and talk the snake out of the house."

James was trying to hide his laughter in his hand, while Lily was forcing herself to keep going around these boys' antics.

**A member of the Dark Force Defense League had been quoted saying how he found anyone with the ability untrustworthy and needing to be investigated.**

"Investigated of what?" Harry asked in surprise.

"No clue," James rolled his eyes, "but I trust it's nothing good."

"I can't wait until the next article now," Sirius deadpanned. "She's gone from putting you in three different lights now, you think she'll switch back around to one, or try another new angle?"

"Here's hoping Hermione catches her before we have to find out," Lily huffed.

**The quote continued by saying that anyone who associated with such Dark creatures as giants and werewolves would be more than likely to have a fondness for violence and this shouldn't surprise anyone.**

Sirius still had his wand held threateningly in his hand, as he kept his eye on their werewolf, he'd do it again if he caught Moony thinking like that, idiot that he was.

Remus for his part was grumbling in annoyance and still rubbing his knee where the stinging hex had hit, but at least grateful he hadn't gotten a whole mouthful speech accompanied by James, yet.

**Dumbledore should be considering whether a boy such as this should be allowed to compete in the Triwizard Tournament.**

"If I actually get kicked out of the Tournament because of her, I think I'll thank her," Harry shook his head.

"I think I'd be just a tad annoyed," James said without a trace of meaning it. "You've come so far, may as well get your last kicks in."

"Wasn't it my suggestion Harry should act like a lunatic to get thrown out in the first place," Sirius said with an obvious look at Remus, waiting to be corrected. "Where's my thanks if that happens to be true."

"I'll send you a letter," Harry smirked.

**The public should be fearing Potter using his Dark Arts to even win such a prize on this very night.**

"She did a really bad job of posting this so late," Lily sniffed, "if her goal was to get you booted out of the Tournament, they couldn't have pulled it off in time anyways."

"Well darn," James snapped his fingers, "next time she writes something about Harry, I'll make sure it gets forwarded."

Harry was at least laughing slightly at them all playing this off.

**Harry was not impressed as he folded the paper and handed it back to Hermione.**

"What an underwhelming reaction," Sirius shook his head at him. "I'm sure Ron and Hermione were disappointed, did they expect you to go off the rails when you saw that?"

Harry shrugged and laughed at the idea, wondering for a moment why he had a spot of guilt at yelling at his friends about anything?

**At the Slytherin table, Malfoy and his friends were still busy making faces at him and wagging their tongues like snakes.**

"I'd imagine they look stupider than they're trying to make Harry look," Lily snapped at the idiots.

**Ron was scanning through the article more carefully now, asking aloud how she'd known about his Divination moment.**

**Harry reminded he'd opened the window, maybe she'd heard it from the grounds.**

"There's no way she heard you from the top of the North Tower," Remus disagreed, finally stopping his glaring at Sirius, and probably not even going to get him back for it later.

**Hermione disagreed that still shouldn't have made it possible, while Harry asked if she had any updates on this magical bugging thing she had to be doing.**

**Hermione's face went slack in a dreamy expression.**

"Err," the boys muttered, partly in concern, and partly in confusion of what had struck Hermione with that line.

**The two watched as she first ran her fingers through her hair, and then brought her hand up to her mouth and muttering into her palm.**

The only thing they could work out from that was Lily's muttered, "so, did she figure out what's going on?"

"I have no idea how those two things are supposed to be put together," James huffed, wondering when the surprise would wear off Hermione seemed to know a lot more than them.

**The boys exchanged a look as Hermione muttered off into space about how this would be perfect, even Moody wouldn't spot it, and she could have been at all of these places.**

"How on earth did that fourteen year old tie all this in together," Sirius threw his hands up in frustration.

"Must be magic we haven't seen yet," Remus scowled in frustration, "we've already seen that at least a few times, you know it's always adapting and new spells are invented every few years. That's the only thing I can think of, Skeeter's doing something we've never heard of."

Somewhere deep inside, Harry wanted to laugh at the idea of the Marauders saying this, but aloud he agreed it was just frustrating Hermione never shared what she was thinking.

**Hermione yelped about going to the library to confirm something and then darted off.**

"What on earth has that library ever done to her, to possess her like this," James groaned.

"She wouldn't be Hermione if she didn't check her work," Harry shrugged.

**Ron called to her retreating back they had a History of Magic exam in ten minutes! Then he turned to Harry in shock, saying how much their friend had to hate her to possibly risk missing the start of an exam.**

"It's good to see Hermione's finally sorted out her priorities," Sirius smiled for that one.

**Then he asked if Harry was going to spend the test reading?**

"I think I just felt my heart break," James declared as he eyed his boy. "Reading, during class, what has come over you?"

"I've nothing else to do," he smirked and shrugged at the same time. "Can't even doodle with Ron since he's the one who's busy, and I got caught last time for trying to practice spells. I'd go crazy if I just had to sit there staring at the ceiling."

"Oh yes, fine," James muttered.

**Harry had spent all previous exams doing this, looking up more spells to practice for his third task, and Harry agreed he was most likely going to do so this time until McGonagall approached him.**

"Has that ever been a good thing?" Lily groaned.

"Not that I can recall," Remus sighed.

**She told him the champions were all meeting in the adjacent chamber after breakfast.**

"Why!" Harry practically screeched, wondering if he'd somehow gotten the time stamps wrong.

"Relax, I'm sure you'll ask her then," Lily soothed, not denying one bit she was biting at her lip in worry as well as their semi joke still stood.

**Harry began panicking at once, saying the task wasn't going to start until tonight!**

**McGonagall agreed she was aware,**

"She gets so crispy about things being pointed out to her," Sirius couldn't help but utter with an old smirk.

**this had to do with the champion's families coming to visit, and they'd be staying to watch the final.**

"Err no, actually I didn't know," Harry admitted, wondering if anyone had mentioned this before and he hadn't been paying attention.

He wasn't too surprised when no one around him looked particularly enthused at this kind of declaration, they were all thinking the same as him, it's not like Sirius was going to be there.

**She left then, Harry gaping in surprise that she actually thought the Dursleys would make an appearance.**

"Somewhere in there is a really good question about whether Muggles would be allowed to attend this," Remus sneered.

"My best guess is still a not," Lily snarled. The only thing she'd ever even heard of coming close to this was a mention of Moaning Myrtle's parents coming up to school, and even then they'd never gotten confirmation of whether the girl was Muggleborn and this would be a problem, and if it was if they would have met outside the school premises...and all of this had nothing to do with the fact that the Dursleys would sooner make an appearance than hug Hagrid.

**Ron gave a shrug, but then had to excuse himself to go off to his test.**

**Harry finished his breakfast slowly as the rest of the Hall emptied as well. He watched his fellow Champions making their way to that door behind the staff table, but Harry wasn't even going to bother poking his head in. He had no family-**

Lily's voice gained a terrible hitch, but she forced herself to read past that moment and pretend like it never happened. Her Hare Bare was here with her now, he had all the family he could ever want, and damn these books for saying otherwise.

**at least none who would turn up to see him risk his life.**

Remus was twisting the sleeve of his robes down so hard, a few loose strings were appearing, that didn't change how bad this hurt. It had only just occurred to him, but he'd never even sent Harry a concerned note about him being in the Tournament. He'd had a million opportunities since his departure, and had never once reached out to try and be any part of Harry's life. There was a better chance of the Dursley's making an appearance than him by this point.

**As Harry was finally leaving, thoughts of going to the library himself to do some hex research,**

"That's what I always want to do whenever I think of those Muggles," Sirius snapped.

**the door opened and Cedric told Harry to hurry up, they were waiting on him.**

"They?" everyone repeated in shock, their mind floundering to come up with any good explanations for who this could be, and just as equally hurt that it was so confusing anyone would show up.

**Utterly perplexed, Harry changed directions. The Dursleys couldn't possibly be here, could they?**

James struggled hard to get the words out, "did you want them to be?"

Harry sat there for a long time in silence, his mind suddenly back to three years old and trying to ask his Aunt Petunia why they never said they loved him like they did to Dudley all the time, and only getting the same response he ever did, 'don't ask questions.' He knew for a long time in his childhood some part of him had wanted to understand why he'd never been cared for, and then he'd gotten his answer, so he responded with clear sincerity, "sure, would finally be able to curse them and not get in trouble."

The honestly unexpected joke caused them all to crack up laughing, hard. Harry making light of this was a blow none of them could gloss over, it would never not incite murder in all of them at the mention of those useless beings, but at least the bright smile he got for making them laugh felt worth it.

**Inside was Krum talking to a dark haired man who Krum held similar features with, and a woman, all three speaking Bulgarian. Fleur was off to one side jabbering in French with a beautiful woman who had to be her mother, and Gabrielle.**

Sirius opened, then closed his mouth. Remarkably thought about it for a moment, then decided screw it and really did ask, "How exactly is she part veela? I mean, I've never even heard of how Veela reproduce, they're an all female species, so are they asexual unless they sleep with a wizard or?" He watched the others dumbfounded faces for a moment, before cracking a smile and saying, "what, don't tell me you haven't been wondering the same thing. Now I'm realizing, with her dad not being there, well-"

"Please stop," Lily practically begged. "One, it's none of your business Sirius, and two, we've no idea."

She actually paused like she expected, almost hopefully, someone to correct her, because she wasn't pretending to deny it was a good question.

Remus thought about it for a moment, stating, "The only facts I can offer is if you take a hair from a veela's head, they're said to die, but I somehow don't see Fleur speaking of her grandmother like that if she'd been killed, so most likely the veela pulled it out herself as a gift."

"That was not helpful, about anything," James pointed out.

**Mrs. Weasley and Bill were standing in front of the fireplace, beaming at him.**

Lily felt her voice tying off, equal amounts of annoyance and even hurt rearing up at Molly making an appearance for her baby after all the embarrassment and even idiotic ways she'd acted towards both him and Hermione this year, all while also just a warm flood of gratitude there was still someone out there looking out for Harry.

Her reaction was subtle to Harry's, who flushed in shock and began stammering something even he wasn't quite sure of. An apology to those around him, gratitude being the most dominant thing to him for even though he'd never said it aloud, throughout his years he'd pictured the Weasley's the closest thing he'd ever have to a family, he'd never realized they'd felt the same!

"How would they even have known to come?" James voice sounded odd, but he genuinely seemed to be trying more for curiosity than what he knew his wife was feeling. "I mean, if the notice they could appear at the final task went out to families?"

"Maybe Dumbledore personally sent it?" Sirius tried, "I've no doubt he knows Harry spends the majority of his time at the Weasley's over the holidays, so kind of as a courtesy thing?"

"All that tells me," Remus was trying hard not to frown, "was that Dumbledore must have a good idea of Harry's feelings for the Dursleys though." His voice came out too sharp, he was still more frustrated with himself for being right about not being there than anything.

They all felt a lot of different things about this moment, but one look at Harry and suddenly they were almost at peace with it as well. This had to be the first time they'd seen that kind of smile on his face this whole time, the only moment that had come close was when his real relation to Sirius had been revealed, and that had been pretty muted compared to the following events. So Lily bit off the head of how she was really feeling about this, put it away in a corner for later, and managed to keep going with a true smile.

**Mrs. Weasley shouted surprise at him.**

"Understatement," Sirius muttered.

**She gave him a kiss on the cheek as she explained they'd come to watch, while Bill asked how he was doing?**

"Eh," James sighed, waving his hand vaguely, though Harry thought that was more to do with his actual answer than answering for Harry.

**Charlie had told them all about that Horntail and how incredible he was.**

"Charlie's the lucky one," Remus muttered under his breath, thinking so far no task had really gone well enough for any spectators to exactly be 'enjoying' these events, but that was probably just his personal opinion. He could only imagine picturing this through someone other than Harry, and it could sound like a bit more fun.

**Fleur was eyeing Bill with great interest over her mother's shoulder.**

Harry tried very hard to forcefully smother laughter for no real reason he could tell.

**She clearly had no objection to long hair or earrings with fangs on them.**

"A lot of girls don't," Sirius' grin flipped to saucy at once, "I considered getting one myself, though of course now I'd just be accused of doing it because of Bill."

"Yes Sirius," James said back deadpan, "every woman you meet will think the kid who's more like my babies age absolutely pulled this look first."

Sirius' smile actually brightened all the more.

**Harry was thanking them both, muttering his surprise that for an actual moment he'd thought the Dursleys-**

**Mrs. Weasley cut him off by pursing her lips tight. She'd never said anything about them to Harry, but he always saw her eyes flash when they were mentioned.**

"Remind me, how did she take the news of starving and bars?" Lily muttered, but there was no real ill will in there. She knew now like she had when she didn't blame Molly for this in the first place, Harry refused to say much of anything on them really, so Molly had slowly been drawing her own conclusions after that event. If it was even a portion of what she'd conjured up in believing Skeeter's stories about Harry and Hermione, Molly was still only hitting the tip of the iceberg when it came to the Dursleys.

**Bill didn't seem to notice, as he began talking about how great it was to be back at the castle, he hadn't been here for five years.**

"Wow so he's actually, eleven, now. Give or take a birthday, it's really hard to picture." Sirius said mostly to himself.

"I'm sure a lot of this'll be hard to picture if we ever get out of here," Remus rolled his eyes as just a few instances came to mind.

**He asked about the Fat Lady still being Gryffindor's portrait, and Mrs. Weasley said she'd even been here in her time.**

"I was under the impression she's always been the Gryffindor portrait," James agreed.

**She used to give such telling offs when her and Arthur returned late-**

**Bill cut his mother off in surprise, asking what she was doing out of bed after hours?**

"Well why'd he go cutting her off for!" Sirius yelped in protest. "That could have been some amazing fodder to use against his mother, especially if he passed it along to the twins next time she went off on them!"

"I don't even blame Bill," James shook his head, "remember when my dad tried to tell us about that time he turned McGonagall into a Pekingese. The idea just messed with my mind so much, I didn't want the material."

Sirius nodded in agreement.

**Mrs. Weasley just grinned at her eldest, admitting she'd had a few late nights with her husband.**

"I can't believe she's answering," Remus already looked traumatized, he got enough stories from Sirius that started like that to predict results.

"She is talking to her kids," Lily's cheeks were starting to ting a little pink, and Harry no more wanted to know what she was thinking than whatever Mrs. Weasley was going to supply, "I'm sure it won't be explicit."

**Arthur had been caught out, and he still had the marks Pringle had given him, that was the caretaker in their day.**

"The bloody hell did Pringle do?" Sirius yelped in concern, it was really something when someone made Filch look like a kindness.

"I'm guessing rules were a bit more lax then," James said with honest pity. Arthur seemed like such a nice guy, he didn't want to imagine what had been done.

**Bill changed topics by asking Harry for a tour, which he readily agreed to. They passed Amos Diggory and his wife on the way out, Amos stopping Harry.**

"Oh not this again," Remus groaned.

"Harry's been neck and neck with him every step of the way," James smile wasn't at all pleasant, "so he can't even say anything to you this time."

"I'm sure he'll still try to come up with something," Sirius rolled his eyes.

**Asking if Harry felt as full of himself now that Cedric and him were tied?**

"When's Harry ever been full of himself?" Lily snapped of no one. "If anything, he's the opposite."

Harry chose not to answer, half proving Lily's point.

**Harry asked what he meant, and Cedric told him to ignore his father.**

"I've been trying," Sirius scowled, "yet somehow I've had to hear him anyways."

"It's much more effective in person when you can either plug your ears or Silencio them," James agreed.

**Explaining that he'd been sore about this since that first article when Skeeter had made it seem Harry was the only Hogwarts champion.**

That did admittedly put them stumped for a moment, it was a valid point on Amos' part and would have infuriated anybody, but that still wasn't any reason to take it out on Harry!

**Amos was being his usual boastful self as he slapped his son on the back, praising him for being so humble he hadn't corrected the papers, and how he had no doubts Cedric would win this thing! He'd beaten Harry once before.**

**Mrs. Weasley snapped at him that Skeeter was known for causing trouble,**

"Well that was rich," Lily sniffed.

"Yet true," Harry also defended uneasily before he stopped to consider. Harry wasn't even sure why he should feel bad about correcting his Mum regarding Mrs. Weasley, but in any case, the only reaction Lily gave was a soft hum before she kept going.

**and he should know better.**

**Mr. Diggory looked as though he was going to say something angry,**

Harry looked ready to say something nasty right back, he knew he would not take kindly to anyone saying a bad word about Mrs. Weasley after what she'd done for him today!

**but his wife laid a hand on his arm, and he instead turned away.**

Then Harry realized that all thought of mothers was slowly starting to be erased from his mind, and instead a thick black pain was starting to trace every inch inside him. Something so bad he didn't even want to consider what it could mean, but it involved the Diggory's...

**Harry had a fun filled morning as he strolled the grounds with the Weasley's, who greatly admired the carriage and ship. Mrs. Weasley was personally fascinated by the Whomping Willow**

"Should have been torn up long before now," Remus muttered to himself.

**and regaled them about the old gamekeeper Ogg.**

"Well that's actually fascinating," Sirius said honestly, though it was hard to picture the grounds without the Willow.

"He's most likely the one who trained Hagrid," James agreed, "so I'd kind of like to hear about him just for that."

**Harry asked how Percy was doing.**

"Harry!" Sirius groaned, "we said we wanted to hear about old gamekeepers, what are you doing changing the subject?"

"I can tell you a few things Mrs. Weasley told me later about Ogg," Harry chuckled at their grumbling even while Lily ignored them.

**Bill's first response was to say, not well.**

That did catch their attention though. They may not like Percy much, but they didn't want to hear about anything bad happening to him.

**He was in trouble at work for not realizing sooner something must be up with Crouch, and should have reported the instructions he'd been receiving and was now being questioned about it all.**

"Uh oh," Remus muttered.

"Actually I'm really not sure what to think of that," Sirius ran his hand through his hair in thought. "Crouch was acting like a loon, I honestly think that had to be a progression over time, but really we haven't given this much thought. He's been acting odd for months now, but Percy was insisting he was just hunky dory."

"I think we can put that down to faulty information on Percy's part," James frowned, "for all we know, Crouch really has been acting worse and worse, but Percy was pretending otherwise."

They still had a lot more questions about what was really going on with Crouch, but studying Percy would help no one.

**Percy was under a lot of stress and not being allowed to continue Crouch's job, not even as judge tonight.**

"So who's going to?" Remus began to ask almost exactly as Lily finished.

**Fudge would be instead.**

"See, this is what your questions get you," Sirius laughed at Remus' eye roll.

No one yet noticed Harry starting to lose a drop of color at every word spoken closer to the start of this task, now with Fudge there... he was really starting to look terrible.

**They went back inside for lunch, where they were joined by the rest of the Weasleys and Hermione. Mrs. Weasley asked Ron how his exam had gone, and he admitted he'd made up about half of it, but all the names were something like Urg the Unclean.**

"I am fairly confident that's an actual name," Lily giggled.

"Boys quite brave himself to be admitting this to his mum," Remus agreed.

**Halfway through the meal Harry remembered Hermione's sudden Skeeter inspiration,**

"I haven't forgotten," Lily murmured eagerly, she'd love Hermione to say this in front of Molly in particular, if just a slight payback for that Easter egg.

**but before he could ask Hermione shook her head and looked pointedly at Molly.**

"Why wouldn't you tell in front of her?" Sirius pouted at once, they'd waited in suspension long enough for this treat, they wanted Skeeter to fall already, and if they knew anything about Hermione by now, they were sure she was at least onto something!

**Harry seemed to have drawn Mrs. Weasley's attention onto Hermione though, and Molly greeted her very stiffly.**

They all gave a grumpy little huff for that, how could she stand up to Diggory one moment and then be like this the next?

**Hermione gave a friendly enough smile back, which was not returned.**

**Harry at once told her that Skeeter's story had been ridiculous, Hermione was not and had never been his girlfriend.**

Sirius actually began applauding Harry, stating, "Look who can take a hint?"

Harry smacked his hands to get him to stop, but then Remus just kept going with that same smirk in place. "Well he's right, it's really saying something of you for stepping up and saying that, I can think of others who wouldn't have picked up on it."

Harry wasn't sure if he meant his own friends or Ron, but Harry still wanted to ignore the look he was getting so was more than grateful when Lily kept going hopefully.

**Mrs. Weasley at once said she'd known that, but from then on she treated Hermione perfectly normal and polite.**

No one could deny they were pleased, but it was still rather grating all the same as she hadn't even apologized.

**Up at the staff table, all the judges seemed to be having a good enough time, except Fudge who was sitting right next to Maxime.**

"Can't pretend to be disappointed," James curled his lip, thinking Fudge deserved it, the arrogant prick.

**Maxime was concentrating on her plate, and Harry thought her eyes looked red.**

"Should I be worried?" Remus said, and he actually did look it.

"Nah," Sirius tried to wave him off, "I'm sure she's had another lovers spat with Hagrid, and hopefully the big guy won again and he'll be along to dinner shortly." Even he didn't sound as confident as he wanted to, no one really wanted to think about Fudge actually trying to do something against Maxime for the wrong reasons.

**Hagrid kept glancing along the table at her.**

Sirius would have looked far more superior about being right if he wasn't just as relieved as everyone else.

**There were more courses than usual but Harry, who was starting to feel really nervous now, didn't eat much.**

"You'd think they'd take a hint," James muttered, thinking back to this time before the stupid tournament had even started and their own comments about how a feast should be held when there was a winner, not stress for all involved.

**When the ceiling above finally began ebbing into dusk, Dumbledore rose to his feet, and silence fell at once.**

Lily had to swallow very hard around a dry throat and even took a sip of water before she could force herself to continue, her only advantage being that finally this was the last one.

Harry had gone exceptionally quiet, only marginally playing along with the boys like usual, and the longer this carried on and the more sickly he kept looking, the harder it was to convince themselves that this should be an easy task.

**He announced the third task would be starting in five minutes, and asked the contestants to go down now with Bagman.**

**Harry was wished luck on all sides as he joined the others, Bagman catching up to him at once and asking how he was feeling?**

"Least this'll be the last time he asks you that," James muttered to himself.

**Harry told he was alright, and for once it was the truth. He kept running down the list in his mind of all the spells he'd learned for this, and pleased he remembered every one.**

"This has got to be worse than any preexam jitters," Remus agreed, though just as impressed that Harry had learned a lot in a short amount of time, all the more proof of what Harry's specialty in magic was in these spells.

**Their Quidditch field was now completely unrecognizable, the twenty-foot-high hedge ran all the way around the edge of it.**

James and Sirius gave an involuntary flinch at just the idea, wanting to sit and berate this stupid school for hours for using this stupid tournament anywhere near their field! They'd already been denied Quidditch this year, this felt like adding insult to injury! They both kept themselves at bay though because they kept hopping Harry would instead, no matter how obvious it was he was only half paying attention at best.

**The stands began filling almost the moment the five were huddled around the entrance, and were also joined by Hagrid, Moody,**

Harry felt himself shiver straight down to his bones as too many things tried to align themselves at once. Moody, Diggory's, Fudge, and that maze...

**McGonagall, and Flitwick who were all wearing vests with bright red stars on them. McGonagall explained they would be patrolling the outskirts of the maze, and if at any time they wished to leave it they were to send up red sparks.**

"That probably falls under automatic disqualification from the Cup though," Remus was clearly saying to himself, "so I cannot imagine anyone doing it."

Harry was wiping some sweat that was starting to appear, trying to get his mind to flip to any good thought, but all he could land on was when Hagrid had first taught him to do this his first time in the Forbidden Forest, and that was only making his feelings worse.

**Bagman announced it was time to go, and added the Sonorous charm to his throat so that all could hear.**

James muttered something inarticulate about better times at the World Cup, he'd much rather hear that all over again than this crappy version of a Cup.

**He spoke grandly to the stands about how the final event of this Triwizard Tournament was coming to a close! Then he listed off the order the champions stood in.**

Sirius really wanted to make a pompous remark about his proud school double beating out the others, but it would never erase the annoyance of Harry having to be in this at all.

**The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky.**

"Congratulations," Remus snorted in surprise.

"Why are they holding this at dusk anyways?" James rolled his eyes at the idea, "there's a reason the other events were all held in the middle of the day."

"I suppose they would have put the same charm on the stands as they did during the lake event," Sirius shrugged, "but my best guess is that some of the things they did to the maze may have been time activated, or maybe some of the beasts Hagrid offered are nocturnal."

"Sirius I will make you read this if you don't stop putting ideas in my head," Lily threatened, causing Sirius to zip his mouth shut at once.

**Bagman finally announced that on his whistle, Harry and Cedric would be allowed to enter. After a short countdown, the shrill noise rang, and the two were inside the maze.**

Lily took another deep breath just as Harry exhaled his own, though both were at complete opposite mindsets by this point. Lily was almost happy to finally be doing this, the problem was nearly over, where Harry was fighting back the urge to scream the worst hadn't even begun.

**The hedges were so high they seemed to block the rest of the world out, and either because of thickness or magic, no sound from the crowds came through.**

"The second," they all muttered, still eyeing Harry with growing concern, but Remus still tried to keep a casual conversation as he said, "wouldn't want someone shouting and giving directions after all."

Harry vaguely acknowledged him with a, "Hum."

**Harry and Cedric were on even until they reached a split, where Harry went left, and Cedric right. Not long after, a second and then third whistle was heard, and all champions were in the maze.**

The boys were really starting to get twitchy with nerves, all of them shifting around or fidgeting with whatnot. Harry had this air about him like they should be expecting an attack any second, and wasn't even trying to downplay it for once.

**Harry kept looking behind him. The old feeling that he was being watched was upon him.**

"I'm sure everyone in the maze feels like that," Sirius muttered.

Harry knew what he meant, but still the idea lingered, thinking he was being watched, but just by one, or maybe just one eye...

**When Harry hit his next crossroads, he used his Point Me spell. As his goal was northwest, the wand turned compass pointing him north was the best way to find himself.**

"That's brilliant," James eyes lit, "you remember the direction you headed for when you first met Bagman on the field."

"It was the same time of day too, so that really was an advantage they gave you all," Sirius agreed.

Harry was having a hard time concentrating on a single word they were saying, his hand wrapped securely around his wand and very sure he never wanted to reach the center of this maze.

**He took the turn that would lead him in that direction, and made several more without running into anything. He was starting to feel uneasy, thinking he should have hit an obstacle by now.**

"I agree," Lily nodded, her fingers turning white she was clutching the book so hard for anything to jump out any second.

"I think it's another tactic," Remus muttered, "lull him into a false sense of security for the first half."

Harry had no idea why he wanted to correct Remus about that, instead something in him was convinced his own path was being altered and helped along, but of course no one would be doing that...

**He should have found something by now, but perhaps this was a trap for a false sense of security.**

"Hey look, Harry agrees with you," Sirius smirked.

**Then he heard movement right behind him.**

They all tensed at once with that, a crup appearing right now would have had them all freaking out.

**He held out his wand, ready to attack, but its beam fell only upon Cedric,**

"Gah," Sirius gasped, massaging roughly at his chest to keep his heart beat in rhythm. "I swear I'm going to kill that kid, he's been driving me cr-"

Harry cried out so loud that Sirius leapt away in shock while James accidentally shot a curse into the wall that caused it to sprout a white fur pelt. Harry noticed nothing as his hands curled into fists pressed against his pounding forehead.

"Merlin pup, I was kidding," Sirius tried to pacify while everyone was left a shaking mess, Harry still not registering a thing as he sat there staring at nothing and panting with exertion.

"Deep breath Harry," James soothed, ruffling up his hair and casting his mind around for any form of distraction. "If I knew Sirius' stupid humor was going to do this to you, I'd have turned him into a terrier already."

"That's insulting," Sirius pouted at him, "I'm a deerhound and proud of it."

"Is that what you tried to transfigure the wall into?" Remus asked curiously as he waved his own to put the pattern back.

"I still have small dogs on the brain," James admitted.

Harry actually managed a laugh for them, something about the thought of a terrier really did put him back in a good mood, but it didn't erase the haunted look behind his eyes.

Lily tried a different tactic, "I'm sure you're just worried about Cedric, perhaps something from your own time like you were with Ginny. Nothing's going to happen to Cedric now." Even to her own ears the words came out flat, it was so incredibly hard to downplay how much pain her baby was clearly in, how odd he'd been acting since he'd even first heard Cedric's name, but the thought of her fourteen year old actually knowing someone who had died during this tournament was nearly unbearable. He was just too young for that to be happening to him on top of everything else he'd been through. Still, he seemed to have marshaled himself, so whatever was fixing to happen she still kept the knowledge alive her baby was fine while she forced herself to keep going.

**He came tumbling out of an adjacent path, and his sleeve was smoking.**

"Sounds like he's having a blast," Sirius muttered to himself as he sunk back into his seat, trying to keep that one from Harry's ears so he didn't cause any more problems with the mention of this one.

**He caught sight of Harry and quickly explained it had been a Skrewt and how enormous it was,**

James opened then closed his mouth, a snappy little joke about how he wanted to kill Hagrid for putting those bleeding things into this on the tip of his tongue, but he didn't want to imagine what Harry's reaction could be next.

**and just as quickly ran off.**

**Harry stepped up his pace a bit, he had no desire to run into that. Instead he turned down the opposite way Cedric had gone, and ran into a dementor.**

Lily moaned under her breath, her hands beginning to shake as the fear of Harry having to relive that memory returned even if he could summon a patronus to get rid of them, the screaming that would start in his ears would always be an echo of the worst.

**Reacting on instinct, Harry quickly summoned up the idea of himself celebrating with Ron and Hermione once this was all over to summon the spell Expecto Patronum.**

Remus hummed softly to himself, he always enjoyed knowing what other people's memories were when they conjured that spell, and Remus was more than happy if this became a recurring one for Harry. They were familiar and a common presences in his life, while also always managing to create new and happy memories for Harry, a great bonus as using the same memory over and over had been known to start lacking in use after a time, as if repetitive dementors feeding on the one memory could actually deteriorate an older idea. He was so lost in his own thought he hardly paid attention as Lily went on, absolutely confident in Harry's ability to conquer this.

**The silver stag appeared, stampeding down the hooded figure, which began to stumble back.**

"Do what?" Sirius yelped in surprise.

"Um," Remus had to blink a moment in surprise to spin his brain back and catch up with what he'd only half herd. "Oh, yes, it must be a boggart then, that's the reaction it would have with a proper patronus on it, simply hovering and considering another attack."

**Harry recognized that dementors never did such a thing, and realized this must be a boggart, so instead switched spells to Riddikulus.**

**It vanished with a loud crack and only a vapor of smoke left.**

"Must have been a really weak boggart," James raised a brow at this. "You didn't even have to smirk at it, it simply vanished with the spell."

Harry nodded without answer, that feeling still lingering heavily in his chest about how this was too easy, how he was getting help, and still that extra layer that wouldn't leave him of something concerning Cedric.

**The silver stag was already fading, but Harry wished it would stay, he'd have liked the company.**

"Why didn't you just cast the spell again then?" Lily offered, "It will linger as long as you keep your happy thought in mind with purpose."

"Never practiced that," Harry said distantly, taking a deep rattling breath as that too seemed to hold some meaning to him, and he was truly going to be sick soon if the feeling didn't fade.

**He kept pressing on, often running into dead ends and still going many directions without running into anything but always trying to go as north as possible, until finally he came across some golden mist.**

Lily could practically feel her mind flipping through an old fifth year text as she blurted, "It's a good thing you don't have anything in your pockets, that sounds like Limbo Caligo, or Limbo Mist. Easy enough to get through even if you don't know the counter charm, Gravi."

"And how do you do that?" Sirius asked for Harry since he clearly wasn't going to do so himself, he was still too distracted, but even hearing them talk seemed to be keeping his eyes at least darting to each person as they spoke. Plus, not that he'd admit it, but Sirius honestly forgot.

"Determination," Lily smiled sweetly at her son, "you just have to be brave enough to realize this isn't magic that actually turns off gravity." She didn't need to even think if Harry would figure out this second option, any boy who jumped on the back of a mountain troll would certainly gamble the odds that was how this spell could be defeated.

"What about his glasses?" James asked in concern, pushing his own slightly up the bridge of his nose only for them to fall right back down.

Lily did acknowledge that could be a problem if he didn't react quick enough, but thankfully once the spell wore off they'd just fall right back beside him, hopefully undamaged, or at least he knew how to repair them now.

**Harry went towards it cautiously, his first thought to put a spell through it to blast it away.**

"Honestly, I'd try that first too," James chuckled.

**He chose Reducto, but it merely glided through the twinkling haze without disruption.**

"Still never hurts to try," Remus shrugged.

**Harry tried to consider what would happen if he went through, or if he should double back.**

**Then he heard the scream.**

Harry gave yet another horrible shiver for what that could mean, it was happening so often they were all starting to wonder if Harry was going to fall into an involuntary fit even if he was clearly trying his hardest not to touch his memories. This scream though wasn't the one Harry was fearing this night, and though he twisted in concern for Fleur, she wasn't the one in danger...

**Harry called for Fleur, but received no answer. Taking a deep breath, he knew which direction he had to go through, and so began charging the enchantment.**

Lily smiled and wanted to smack her son all at the same time. Even if she did know what this Charm was, she hated the idea of him just charging into anything, but also couldn't be more proud her's was a boy that never hesitated to help a person in need.

**He hadn't made it halfway across when the world seemed to flip upside down, his shoes now rooted to the grass as he seemed to dangle out into oblivion, his reflexes the only thing saving his glasses from toppling into the stars.**

"There's those Quidditch reflexes," James smiled, which vanished at once as Harry still wasn't focusing on anything in this room.

**He could feel the blood pumping into his head, thinking that if he tried to move he'd fall off the earth forever.**

Remus shivered in disgust, now vaguely remembering learning about this spell himself, but he'd thought about it in the classroom, where it sounded sort of funny to be dangling from the ceiling like this. Harry made it sound terrifying.

**He tried to think of some way out of this, but the blood rush was hard to work through, did he dare move his foot?**

"I'd really like to think Harry would realize they wouldn't actually put a spell in there that would kill you like that," Sirius sighed, "but now that I know those Skrewts are in there, I don't blame Harry."

**He could still send up the sparks, surely someone would see them right side up and get him off this flipside earth.**

Harry muttered something under his breath how he was wishing he'd picked that option, but it was at least some form of his communicating again.

**He still felt that scream echoing in his head, and so taking one long deep breath, he wrenched his foot free.**

Lily's smile widened, she really was just so impressed at her Hare Bare committing to something like that when less brave people would have coped out already. It helped she knew the end results and he'd be fine.

**The world flipped right side up again, the moon and stars above having their ever friendly glow while the golden mist twinkled innocently behind him as he ran off.**

"The most dangerous things are often the cute looking ones," Sirius grumbled in agreement, thankful Harry hadn't run across any sweet smelling plants from those greenhouses yet.

**It was at the next junction he hesitated again, wondering why he'd never seen any sparks after Fleur's scream. Had she fought off whatever had caused it, or was so injured she couldn't reach her wand?**

"Oh I'm sure it's not that bad," James twitched in unease.

**Even as he kept through the shrubbery, in the very small back of his mind, he heard himself think 'one down.'**

That caught Harry's attention full force, as he looked shameful and tried to utter an apology.

"Nah," Sirius waved him off, "I'm confident she's just fine, I'd be celebrating to."

Harry felt warmed and slightly more in control that his first instinct was finally to agree with that good news.

**The cup had to be close by now, and for the first time since he'd heard about all of this, that image again appeared before his eyes. Rising from here in victory in front of the rest of the school...**

Then Harry choked and instantly lost whatever small bit of color he'd gained, and no one could deny any more how confused and terrified they were at all of this. What the bloody hell happened in this maze that was affecting him so bad? Lily didn't want to keep going, it was clearly going to be traumatic for him to relearn, but then she comforted herself at least she was here now to help him through it, he was going to be fine, she had the proof in front of her.

**Another long stretch of time passed again before he found his next run in, a Blast-Ended Skrewt.**

"Oh joy." Remus meant to say that with sarcasm, anything that sent Cedric running like that couldn't be anything actually good, but he'd never deny his thirst for more knowledge about beasts, especially a new one like this. It was clearly bigger than the last time Harry had seen it, which meant more to hear about.

**Cedric had not been exaggerating, it was enormous. Ten feet long, it now resembled a headless scorpion with a curled tail over its back.**

"That is the scariest pink thing I have ever imagined," Sirius nodded to himself.

**He at once shouted Stupefy!**

"Stunners starting too nice," James frowned at the idea of anything that size approaching Harry.

**It rebounded off the carapace and Harry only just ducked in time, but could still smell burning hair.**

"Bloody hell, Hagrid really knows how to create some monsters," Remus' eyes widened even further.

"Maybe it has the same kind of weaknesses as acromantulas, and it's best to hit them on their underbellies," Sirius offered.

"Let's see if Harry thinks of that," Lily said with hope.

**It had singed the top of his head.**

"So fire can come out of both ends?" Remus sighed.

"Unless it tried farting in Harry's face," Sirius agreed.

"Nope, it fireballed me," Harry told, making all of them actually smile. It wasn't a happy image, but any normal response from him would be appreciated.

**A jet of fire came out of the other end, surging it even faster towards him, and Harry kept trying to shoot off the Impedimenta.**

"Well now you're panicking," James groaned, "using the same spell twice."

"Saying it louder hasn't ever made it better," Lily agreed, bite marks starting to appear on her lip from how often she was going at it.

**The skrewt was practically on top of him when the spell finally landed a hit on its underbelly. Harry began edging backwards, then turned tail and ran as fast as he could, knowing that wouldn't last long.**

"That is true," Sirius agreed, "but major credit to you, you've learned a very important lesson about a lot of creatures. Their weakness is usually their belly."

"I'll keep that in mind," Harry promised, wiping more sweat from his temple at another sharp stab telling him this would come back to him sooner than he'd think.

**Harry lost track of his way a bit and had to carefully back track to be heading north again, when he heard another scream, this time much closer by as Cedric demanded what was going on.**

**Krum's voice rent the air as he yelled Crucio!**

"K-Krum!" James yipped, entirely sure he'd heard wrong.

"I, wow he-" even Sirius looked stunned at this turn of events, his suspicions of Krum's headmaster really hadn't even lead him to believe the guy would use an Unforgivable Curse!

Harry was frowning so much deep lines were starting to appear in his face. Now he knew there was something off going on, something just plain wrong with this scene, and it wasn't the curse being used, but something to do with the real person giving it.

**A horrible yell tore at the night from just one hedge over, but Harry kept sprinting up and down and couldn't find a way through! Finally he used the Reductor Curse, which only caused a very small hole to appear, but after much forcing his way through, he broke into the new path.**

James was temporarily surprised to realize Harry hadn't just been doing this all along, he could have been blasting his way right to the center of the maze like that. Now wasn't really the time to be thinking about that though.

**What he saw was Cedric, twitching on the ground, with Krum standing over him.**

Lily's voice was quivering over every word now, after recently learning what would happen to Frank and Alice, that spell took on a whole new level of horrifying to her, something she hadn't previously thought possible.

**Harry at once tried to put a spell on Krum, but the moment he caught sight of Harry, he tried to run.**

"Run?" Sirius demanded brutally. "How do you curse someone like that one second and run the next, you'd think he'd just turn on Harry."

"Isn't everyone in the crowd watching this?" Remus reminded, "He should be disqualified immediately already. Merlin, someone could set a case for him being sent to Azkaban for using this, all for a bleeding Cup."

James was as blasted as the others at this turn of events, they'd really had nothing to see this coming, but even still he pointed out, "well it's good to know Krum really is a scumbag in on whatever plans been going around Harry this year, but I don't buy it Krum's behind everything, so let's let Lily stay on track."

Harry was saved yet another wave of pain from what he was sure was an inaccurate statement from his dad by at least being comforted by the end and agreeing.

**Harry shot Stupefy**

"That was a kindness," Sirius said darkly, but he supposed he'd be even more shocked if Harry had used anything else. He'd proved time and again he was too good a person to be throwing curses around, even to someone's back after they'd just used the worst kind.

**which hit Krum in the small of his back. He face planted the grass while Harry ran to Cedric and asked how he was.**

Harry made a soft whimpering noise he didn't even seem aware of, his body's way of trying to warn him he wouldn't have long to wonder just how bad that spell could hurt.

**Cedric agreed he was fine while he uneasily got to his feet. Harry asked if he'd heard Fleur scream earlier as well, and Cedric thought Krum was responsible for her as well.**

"I'm sure it was something else," Remus said instantly, "and she's still in the game." None of them wanted to consider otherwise, even Krum wouldn't Crucio someone into submission and leave them to die...right? Had they, and Hermione, and everyone been fooled so well?

**Then Cedric suggested they should just leave him here and press on, but Harry corrected he was going to put red sparks above Krum, lest a skrewt eat him.**

"There are worse fates," Sirius sneered even if he knew he wouldn't have disagreed with Harry.

**Cedric muttered how he'd deserve it,**

Sirius gave a soft laugh, he hadn't expected to be mimicking someone he'd been threatening so much lately, but still a bit pompous his point had been repeated.

**but did indeed raise his own wand and put the sparks up. Then he turned to Harry and suggested they keep moving.**

**Harry was surprised for a moment, their having come together against Krum had temporarily distracted him they were opponents.**

"Um, wow, yeah." James had to blink a few times to realize he needed to move past this moment no matter how badly it left a taste in his mouth. "Congratulations, Hogwarts won."

"That's all we wanted in the beginning," Lily sighed, wondering where all that good mood had gone, and how long it would take to come back.

**The two went off together again, but split at the next fork. Harry traced his way through now very distracted, trying to understand why Krum would risk a sentence in Azkaban just for this tournament.**

"I wouldn't have believed so," Remus agreed, wondering if Harry just wasn't putting together what they were thinking, Krum had been a part of the idea from the beginning of putting Harry into this task to hurt him...but then why hadn't he turned on Harry in that moment? Why had he in fact done the opposite?

**He almost ran smack into a sphinx.**

"Oh boy," James sighed.

"I never had the patience for these things and their riddles," Sirius agreed.

Remus hushed the other two, undeniable excitement lighting him as he got to hear about one of these in a new way, hear one of their riddles in as close to in person as he'd ever get.

**It mostly resembled a lion in body, but with the head of a woman. The whole thing combined was eerily pretty.**

**Harry hesitated to raise his wand, as she was not crouching to spring,**

"She won't do that until you get it wrong," Sirius muttered for Harry, who had gone back to only half listening again, Krum weighing back on his mind just like Cedric, and whatever was coming at the end of this.

**but instead blocking his path.**

**She spoke to him in a throaty voice of how close to his goal he was, and Harry politely asked her to move.**

Lily couldn't stop a surprised giggle busting out, quickly followed by all but Harry, who snapped back to here with a roll of his eyes. It had been worth a shot.

**She instead explained how this would go. He could hear her riddle, and if guessed right, he could pass. If wrong, she would attack. If he gave no answer, she would let him leave without question.**

"I wonder if someone like Dumbledore made a deal with this sphinx like he had the mermen," Remus mused. "In the wild, they're much less known for forewarning you like this, they simply see you, spring the riddle, and if you don't guess right they pounce."

"I can imagine that," Lily agreed happily, "so when she says she's going to attack you, she's most likely just going to chase until you send up the sparks."

Aside from that dragon, this Tournament really hadn't been as bad as they'd all been fearing. In fact it was the stuff outside of it which had really been the worst, could that be what was bothering Harry? Not the maze itself, but whatever happened after he got out? It wasn't exactly encouraging, but Harry was watching his mother with some delight again as she finished, "well never the less, I am hoping Harry at least hears the riddle, I love figuring those out."

**Harry felt his stomach twist in concern, it was Hermione who was good at this type of thing.**

"Sadly this isn't a buddy challenge," James gave a small smile, his mind going back to Harry's first year, and Hermione solving Snape's riddle. He hoped Harry had at least picked up some tips from her in the meantime.

**Harry decided he wanted to hear the riddle, with the option in mind he could leave if he wanted to.**

**The sphinx took a seat and recited:**

**Insert sphinx riddle**

Lily was actually smiling by the end, much to everyone's annoyance.

"I will never understand how you enjoy riddles and poems," Remus shook his head at her. "Sometimes the answers are so contrived."

Lily ignored him as she reread the riddle again to herself, then out loud, shushing whoever tried to speak up as she turned it all out, before speaking aloud, "well the first part's a bit hard to find an exact match, it seems broad but doable if you find at least one other part. The second is one I've seen hidden in other riddles, the letter d. The last bit is facing the same problem as the first, you need some kind of information to string them all together for the final answer. I'm wondering if it might rhyme with kiss, but no, the riddle feels complete by rhyming with this. Hum, so perhaps building from there, err something you wouldn't want to kiss with a d in it regarding a liar as well as a noise, no wait, err, person could be an actual-"

"Lily," James finally begged. "You know I love you, and honestly I'd love nothing more than to sit here and watch you puzzle this out, but don't you want to see how Harry does?" James had honestly meant it, he'd been sitting there with an old fond expression his friends had seen more times than they could count in school as he'd watched the love of his life go through all this in her own way. He had no doubts she would get there in the end, but Harry was starting to look sickly again at watching her even as he was smiling along.

Lily sighed, but gave in with minimal dispute.

**Harry asked for it again more slowly, and his first response to something he didn't want to kiss was a Blast-Ended Skrewt.**

Remus snorted with laughter even as Sirius got over his cackling and agreed, "Hey, it even fits the answer, the middle of middle and end of end, both could link into the name of that thing."

"I don't think so," Lily said critically, not at all laughing as she was still hovering over what this could be even as she read. "I don't see that being the answer."

James kept laughing all the harder for her taking this so seriously, but quietly enough she was ignoring him.

**Still, he didn't feel that was actually the answer, so he began working out the clues, first thinking aloud how a person in disguise could be a liar, like an imposter, then quickly shouted at the sphinx that wasn't his guess!**

"Yeah, it's probably safe to keep that clarified," Remus agreed.

**Offering a few more options as well as a spy.**

Lily hummed at the idea with approval, though wasn't entirely sure herself, and was glad Harry was tackling another one instead.

**He had not a guess for what the second part could mean, and erred to himself aloud what the last thing of mend was.**

Lily's mind finally gave a click as she uttered that noise aloud, putting all three pieces together, and suddenly beaming as she kept going, sounding happier right now than she had during any combined Tournament moments.

**Then he asked for the last line.**

"That second one really is easier to figure out if you're looking at the actual words instead of just saying them," Remus agreed over Lily's actually happy reading. They were all watching her with amusement now, as they realized she'd gotten it, but didn't bother asking her to share, if she was going to she would have.

**Harry kept saying err aloud as he tried to figure out a sound he'd make for a hard to find word, then realized the exact noise he was making, err was a sound!**

"You certainly say it enough," Sirius quipped.

Harry stuck his tongue out at him.

**He tried tying his first and last clue together, muttering about a spy-er, spy-er, then yelping the answer spider!**

"Don't you ever again try to say you're not smart," Lily praised, "that was brilliant love."

Harry was flushed at the praise, meeting her eyes and still never growing tired of watching the color match back. There was some small part of him, even underneath all the dread anger and fear he was holding for this night, that left him in no doubt that this one moment where he was sitting beside his father being praised by his mother would mean something incredibly special on this June night as well.

**The sphinx smiled at him, and then stepped aside.**

**Harry thanked her as he dashed past, baffled at his own brilliance.**

James threw his head back and laughed hard at that one, he'd had his own moments of that in his school when he'd come up with some brilliant on the spot moves, but nothing as clever as this.

**Harry turned one last corner, and there it was at last, the Triwizard Cup gleaming on a plinth yards away.**

Harry watched those around him light up, and for just that one moment he let himself feel that too. The feeling that this was all over, Harry had won, he was about to walk out victorious against all odds.

**Suddenly a dark figure hurtled out onto the path in front of him.**

Sirius snarled in frustration, there just always had to be that one more thing hu?

**Cedric had arrived as well,**

"Oh bloody hell," James yelped in outrage, he knew he'd be beyond furious if Cedric took this win now! Harry had come so close, he shouldn't have even been in here, yet despite everything he honestly deserved it more for all the crap he'd been through. Where were the brooms when you needed them? Harry'd have him beat in moments.

**his legs were longer, he had the further advantage, and Harry realized that cup was lost.**

"Then stun him!" Remus blurted as he bounced in place.

Harry just shook his head, realizing the thought wouldn't cross his mind, for that one moment he'd been going to let Cedric win...which flooded him with so much worry in that moment Harry knew he should have done just that, done everything in his power to stop Cedric getting to that Cup. Harry wasn't that petty though, he shouldn't care that much about winning...

**Cedric only had eyes for the cup, and as Harry watched his precision, he saw what Cedric had not, a dark figure scuttling along about to collide right with him.**

**Harry called out a warning, and Cedric only had just enough time to dart to the side as a gigantic spider was on the path.**

"Gah!" Lily screeched. "That blasted riddle was as much a warning! Curse Hagrid and those bleeding spiders." She kept reading too fast for anyone to say otherwise even if they'd wanted to.

**Harry shot Stupefy at once, but all this achieved was drawing the arachnid's attention.**

"Oh but there's the bright side, you got it coming towards you now!" Sirius mock cheered.

"Harry has an awful knack of doing that," James groaned.

**Harry kept shooting curse after curse, but it was doing no good, and without a moment to run the pincers caught him up by the waist and began lowering him towards its mouth, and Harry screamed in pain.**

Lily's voice was starting to hurt it was pitching so high in fear. It was such a contrast to how happy she'd been moments ago and seeing Harry's win in the light the contrast left them all lagging in shock of a proper emotion.

**Harry could hear Cedric trying the same spells he had, to the same effect, so Harry desperately tried Expelliarmus.**

"Credit for originality," Remus muttered, "I don't think anyone's ever tried that."

**The Disarming Spell finally did something, Harry was released, only to sail to the ground and crash on his bleeding leg. Being half under the creature's mandibles, he aimed for the belly and shouted Stupefy just as Cedric did the same.**

**Spells combined, the spider finally keeled over and crashed through a hedge.**

Lily felt herself shaking back into the cushions in relief. This had to be over now, she couldn't imagine anything worse protecting the Cup.

**Cedric called for Harry in concern, asking if the spider had landed on him?**

"Cedric really is such a good guy," Sirius shook his head in fondness, "I can think of a dozen other people who would have gone on for the Cup. The moment he touched it the Tournament would have been over, it would have done Harry just as much good as sticking around helping him while also giving him the win."

Harry felt a sudden stinging in his eyes, unable to understand why he was happy for that one moment where Sirius had finally admitted he'd liked Cedric.

**Harry called back at least that hadn't happened, while he inspected his leg. It was bleeding freely, and a black thick substance surrounded it were the pincers had torn the flesh.**

"That would be the beginnings of a paralyzing secretion," Remus shivered, "so tell Cedric to hop along already and get you out of there before it sets in."

**He tried heaving himself to his feet, but his ankle wouldn't support him, he'd certainly at least sprained it in his fall.**

**Cedric was weaving his way through the legs to Harry's side, while Harry demanded what he was doing, telling him to get on with it and go grab it.**

**Cedric took a deep breath,**

"Oh he's not," James' started to smile.

**and told Harry in thanks for saving Cedric twice in here, he'd let Harry have it.**

"Oh but he is!" Sirius barked in triumph. "Finally, some proper payback for that dragon tip!"

Harry was rubbing at his leg as he remembered that pain, ignoring the both of them as he was now running an internal monologue of regret that he didn't leap at this opportunity on the spot and do just that, instead he just knew he'd argue the point with Cedric, and Cedric would pay for it.

**Harry snapped back that wasn't how this worked. His leg was hurting him more every second, he pulled himself up and only stayed that way by support of a wall, full of regret Cedric had beaten him in this as much as he had with asking Cho to the ball.**

Lily gave a soft sigh, wanting to give her son a hug for feeling so seconded by Cedric all year, and now was certainly the worst time.

**Cedric tried to say otherwise, but Harry insisted he couldn't even try a race on this leg, it was Cedric's. Still he said no.**

Remus couldn't help it, he was starting to laugh a bit at this exchange. When, in the Cup's history, had two champions ever reached it and then argued over who deserved it more? He thought both boys should take it now, it honestly seemed a way to make everyone happy.

**Cedric pointed out how he wouldn't have even made it this far if Harry hadn't helped him out with the dragons.**

"I'm positive no one would have," Sirius grumbled.

**Harry snapped back he'd had help with that too, and that favor had been returned with the egg.**

**Cedric confessed he'd had help with that as well.**

Harry felt like he was standing inside a church bell as it was being rung his head hurt so bad, he closed his eyes tight to try and convince his brain not to be the death of him for how badly he was hurting because of all of this, but that helped nothing. It was much more soothing to keep his eyes open on his mother, a small smile lingering on her face as she kept going. No one seemed that surprised Cedric had gotten help in the first place, clearly everyone in the Tournament had been getting help from someone, it seemed perfectly natural to them.

**Harry still pointed out that made them square.**

**Cedric wasn't having it, insisting he should have acted like Harry back in the second task and stayed behind for the other hostages, Harry should have flat out won that. Harry insisted he had just been the only one thick enough to take that song seriously.**

"Now what did you go calling me thick for?" Sirius demanded, and was instantly concerned when for the first time Harry didn't smile at that. His eyes were glassy, his lips trembling as he was clearly using all his willpower to repress saying something. They were all starting to feel the beginnings of panic set in, what could be so bad about this? Lily was starting to rush a bit in getting this finished, hoping the problem once they got out of there really was something they could help Harry cope through.

**Cedric still refused, walking farther and farther away from the prize, and Harry realized he was serious.**

"No, I am!" Sirius tried again a little desperately, anything to snap Harry out of it, and it seemed to work for just a second as Harry glanced at his godfather, but it helped nothing with whatever was eating the poor boy alive. Was that guilt?

**He was actively walking away from Hufflepuff glory the house had never seen, all while insisting it should be Harry's for the taking. He crossed his arms and met his eyes, absolutely decided.**

"Well now we're all doomed," James tried to pop some humor as well which fell dead flat around him.

**Harry looked past him to the cup, for one second the image again in his eyes of being lifted into a cheering crowd, Cho's shining eyes only on him and that gleaming cup.**

"If Cho dumps Cedric for you, just because you won, I honestly won't approve," Lily grumbled to herself.

**Just as quickly though, Harry blinked it all away, telling that they both would take it.**

Harry moaned, tears trickling out of the corner of his eyes as he shook his head desperately, knowing he'd give anything to take that back.

Lily made to put the book down and go to her son, but Remus caught her and reminded her what always seemed to help him best when this was eating away at him. Get the memory over with. She didn't agree, nothing they could be getting to would make any of this feel better, but she saw just how little she had left, and she honestly wanted her completion to be done just to have the thing out of her hands.

**Cedric at first could only splutter in surprise, but Harry insisted on the idea. It would still be a Hogwarts victory, they'd helped each other every step of the way, they both deserved it.**

**Cedric's eyes lit with delight, and he agreed to the idea, offering Harry a shoulder over to their prize. Harry took it, and the two awkwardly made their way into the slight glow, each grasping a handle.**

Harry felt as if his world was crumbling down around him, that one last moment he had left of seeing that smile on Cedric's face, the triumph gleaming in his eyes as his fingers grasped that at the same moment as Harry's. A million regrets tumbled through him of why Harry hadn't just touched it one moment sooner, why he'd let this happen-

**Instantly there was a jerk in his navel. His feet had left the ground. He could not release the Triwizard Cup; it was pulling him onward with Cedric at his side.**

Harry lost his thin tether he'd been holding, and vomited.

* * *

Just before anyone asks, I'm not going to bring up the 'why didn't they just put the portkey spell on any object' plot hole up until the end of the book, where there's just going to be a whole chapter curled around the many aspects of this particular book. If you send me a suggestion of what you want to see in said discussion, there's a chance I'll slip it in if I don't already have a better spot for it.

I recognize the next three chapters all kind of go together, and since they're relatively short compared to what I've been working with lately, I promise I'm not completely a monster. I will do my very best to get them up even quicker than my normal updating, so with any luck the next one will be up Tuesday.

Completely unrelated side note, has anyone else taken the WOMBAT test? If not, see

www. hp-lexicon source /other -canon/ jkr /jkr -w2/

The commentary on these questions is hilarious, and I usually chose John/Steve's answers because they're sarcastic little shits like me, but Belinda embodies me a lot too.


	33. FLESH, BLOOD, AND BONE

I know you guys probably get tired of reading me say it, but I never get tired of saying it, THANK YOU! For every review, favorite, alert, and even the barest paragraph of reading you all do for me, I've been happy many times in my life, but you guys make it happen every day with your constant support!

James really, really keeps getting all of these worse chapters at the end of these books doesn't he? I swear I'm not doing it on purpose. Hitting our home stretch, and most stressful chapters of these books, hope I do them justice...

To peregrine falcon: Sirius didn't recognize Bellatrix because the description was too generic. I mean, a proud woman with black hair. Why would he suspect her more than any other Death Eater out there?

* * *

Remus watched Harry's shoulders heave with pity as James immediately dispelled the mess and Sirius' mind was clearly scrambling to say something, Remus offered, "Jeez Harry, if you were that upset about tying, you should have just sent up sparks the moment you stepped through. Saved yourself the whole last task."*

Harry tried to explain around a shaking jaw that he swears he wasn't having a go at his memories, even as he tried to get out every last thick layer of emotion he'd been forced to feel in such a small span of one moment where he'd touched that Cup. Happiness for winning for his school, peace with his decision of what he and Cedric had done, all combined with his knowledge of the unknown on how this was going to end. He couldn't put any of this into an intelligible sentence, and instead was left a babbling mess until his mother took over.

In one motion Lily forced Sirius to move so that she could be next to him while he was so clearly distraught, and then wrapped a protective arm over his shoulders, humming a lullaby in his ears as the first bit of distraction she could think of. It's what she enjoyed doing to put her infant down to bed, and though Harry had no memory of the song, the sound alone seemed to give him some sense of relief.

She stayed like that even as he went back to a heavy silence, still torn between now and whatever cruelty his mind was locked in with those memories he couldn't access, and silently convinced James to go on.

He in no way wanted to, for the first time he just could not believe this was going to get better. Not after what had happened last year with Sirius and that traitor, James just couldn't believe anymore this was all going to come out a win, not with the traumatic way his son was reacting. Yet what would happen if they stopped now? Could they ever even leave this place without Harry getting back his full memories and telling them what was going on? Besides, Harry should be getting put back at the beginning of the maze. They'd all instantly recognized the description of a portkey, and though it seemed stupid to put that kind of spell on something to take them back to the beginning instead of just releasing a spell to make the maze drop away, the point still stood that Harry would be back surrounded by the teachers and Dumbledore. At least for the first few moments he hoped his son would find just a moment of peace before whatever happened began, so James plucked the book up and found his spot, forcing out words past a raw throat.

**The two slammed to the ground with such force the Triwizard Cup fell a few feet farther away. Cedric rose first, asking where they were.**

"What do you mean?" Sirius demanded at once. He knew he should have sat back down next to Remus already, but he felt useless just sitting on his hind while Harry was going through such an experience, so he was left bouncing in place like he was on a broken trampoline. "You should have just been sent back to the beginning of the maze, right?"

Harry didn't answer, he still had his eyes closed as he was leaning against Lily, like even now he was trying to deny whatever was fixing to happen.

**Cedric helped Harry to his one good leg as well while the two investigated the area, which was nowhere near Hogwarts as far as they could tell.**

James was trying to deny to himself how panicky his voice was already coming out. Surely they were exaggerating how bad this was, but even to himself that wasn't feeling right. Not with how Harry seemed to be reliving his worst memory yet, and had been since the start of this task. It had to be because of this place, wherever they even bleeding were!

Remus was clearly thinking the same thing as he hissed mostly to himself, "Just where the bloody hell did that stupid Cup send you? Why was there a Portkey on it at all? It should have just activated some enchantments to make the maze fade away."

"If you figure it out, let us know," Sirius grumbled when Harry flinched extra hard at these questions.

**They were instead in a dark graveyard;**

Harry didn't realize he was reaching for it until his mother's hand curled into his. The boys were beyond feeling panicked at this point, Harry was acting more like a scared little kid because of this place than he ever had previously. At eleven facing death against those obstacles, at twelve and being an inch away from death because of that Basilisk, he'd faced it all with a stoic sense of calm and acceptance. The only time he'd showed such clear fear and pain as he was now was for something regarding someone he cared about, like his friends...

**on the outskirts of nowhere. The only thing visible was an old house on a hillside far off in the mist.**

**Cedric took another glance at the Cup, asking if Harry had known it was a Portkey?**

**Harry said no, his eyes peeled in every direction of the misty graveyard,**

James voice kept failing nearly every time he got out the word graveyard, because of how badly Harry flinched beside him.

**then asked if this was some part of the task?**

"There's no way," Remus muttered to himself, "I can't believe you wouldn't have been forewarned about this, but then how did it get there? Whoever put the Cup in the center had to know it was a Portkey, but the only person who could have done that was, well one of the judges I presume but-"

Sirius gently cut him off by grasping hold of his shoulder. While they all wanted answers to those questions, Remus' babbling was going to drive them all mad, Harry first.

**Cedric knew no more than Harry, and suggested they pull their wands back out.**

"I hadn't even realized you'd put those away," Lily murmured into his ear, not scolding, but even just for a moment to point out something else.

Harry nodded mutely, giving some soft response about how they'd tucked them away just before they'd grasped the Cup, they'd had no reason to think they were needed anymore, and trailed off from there before his mouth spouted the worst of it, they needed them now more than ever.

**Harry was happy it had been Cedric who suggested it,**

James forced out a laugh he didn't really feel, but thought now more than ever was a perfect time to tease his son about, "you've really got to stop caring what Cedric thinks, you're twice as brave as he is at half his age."

There was a terrifying moment where a look actually flashed across Harry's face like he would have punched James for saying that, but then just as fast his face closed off. His eyes had opened now but he was staring fixedly into the fire, watching the flames lap against the logs and clearly so torn between his past and present he was only keeping himself in check by reacting to as little as possible for now.

**as they did just that. Harry kept looking in every direction, that feeling again of being watched on him.**

That statement finally seemed to jog something of Harry being in here, his eyes darting to his dad again, but now with clear worry. Harry somehow just knew that in a few moments time, his dad reading about whatever was fixing to come, something of the person who was watching him, was going to cut his father deep.

**Harry caught the movement first, telling that someone was coming. They seemed either short, or bent over, and were shuffling into sight with too thick arms, until he realized the walker was carrying something.**

Harry could feel a scream building up in him, that or vomit he wasn't sure anymore, but he was confident what it meant. A warning, they needed to get out of there, now!

**The distance between them closing all the time, Harry managed to take in a few more details. The face was covered with a hood, so he still couldn't see the moving person, but now he was sure what was being carried was something in a bundle of robes, like a baby.**

Sirius had the odd moment of a flashback to how Hagrid was first described appearing, but even shaking that image away it was impossible to figure out what was going on. None of this was adding up, and he just knew one thing for certain, he wanted his pup out of there before he'd even gotten there.

**The figure stopped just beside a marble headstone, and for a small moment the three figures only stared at each other.**

**Then Harry's scar exploded with pain.**

James knee jerked in shock as he half shouted that last part, his eyes shooting fearfully to Harry and back to the book. If he'd had a bad feeling about this before, it was going haywire now. Harry was rubbing at his scar, his fingers trembling as he traced the pattern in remembrance of that. James remembered Dumbledore's words, how Harry would feel that whenever Voldemort was close by or angry...and it just didn't feel like a coincidence that this was happening now!

**Harry's knees buckled, he fell to the ground with pain he'd never felt before, his fingers covering his face with agony;**

Lily tightened her hold around him, and James considered passing the book along to someone else already, he felt like he was torturing his son by forcing all of this out with Harry just sitting there rather than react how it was clear he felt he needed to back how he would in that graveyard.

**he was screaming in so much pain he hardly made out a high, cold voice command 'kill the spare.'**

James was so worried about Harry at his side that for a moment it had hardly registered what he'd said, and then he thought his tongue had swollen to twice its size in his mouth, he just wasn't able to speak anymore. Harry was crying freely now, there was no denial anywhere on him that showed what he'd heard was in any way wrong. James just couldn't believe it though, there was no way what was being painted could actually have happened. He forced out in a state of utter denial.

**The spell Avada Kedavra rang through the night, there was a flash of green light, and a thud hit down beside Harry. Through stinging eyes he forced himself to look at Cedric lying spread eagle on the ground, dead.**

"No." Lily's voice came out more of an echo than an actual denial as her arms tightened so hard around Harry she was likely hurting him, but he didn't complain. Though her world was focused solely on her fourteen year old son having to witness that, in such a brutal and heartless manner, her thoughts did indeed flip just for a moment to Amos and his wife, how proud they were of their son who'd simply had his life cut from him. That could have so easily been her only child, how he wouldn't be sitting beside her now with a dark look of acceptance on his face.

Harry for his part only felt the shock of his fourteen year old mind registering what had happened, some slim denial in there as well. He was rubbing at his streaming eyes to force that away, not in shame, but determination. He'd distantly recognized for some time what his memory had been trying to warn him of, what all these protective feelings of Cedric were when in reality he'd never been close to him. Now his memory was complete and he understood those feelings, but the worst of them lingered. Cedric had been discarded for no reason that Harry could ever understand, but that wasn't the worst part of this night still. There hadn't been an excuse for this, his partner in winning this competition had only been killed because he'd been there with Harry.

James was more angry than he'd ever been in his life. The only thing that had enraged him more was finding out what had happened to Sirius, but this was almost on level with that. Those words kept ringing in his head, 'kill the spare.' Cedric had been murdered just for simply being there! He wished he was more surprised by this, but it was entirely the Death Eater way to act like this! His only other real emotion was concern, if Cedric was the spare, than Harry was indeed put there for a reason, and his hands trembled at even a guess of why that was. He didn't even chance a glance at his friends, though he had registered Sirius falling down beside Remus in shock, but James was now too muddled in his own brain to consider anything other than hearing how Harry got out of this.

**For a second that contained an eternity, Harry stared into Cedric's open gray eyes,**

Harry couldn't stop an extra sob catching in his throat for that, not only for Cedric, but someone else with gray eyes he'd have to one day see for the last time...but the thought was so distant he didn't even realize he'd been thinking it, too focused on trying to marshal his thoughts into any kind of recognizable order other than horror.

**his last frozen expression of surprise. Before Harry had even considered moving, someone was hauling him to his feet.**

Lily snarled in outrage of anyone touching her Hare Bare in that moment, not a person on earth could remove her arm from where it was right now.

**The short man who'd come into sight was now dragging Harry toward the headstone, and despite his struggles in the dim wand light held by the person, he was slammed against it, only just making out a name. Tom Riddle.**

Remus muttered something James couldn't register. He certainly felt his own amount of shock as some part of his brain lit up on where this was, but the rest of his being went numb upon that realization. Voldemort really was there, and they were at a Riddle's gravestone, which meant the book had come full circle, and they were ending where it had begun. That bundle of blankets was the little being that had been in a high back chair this whole time... so that was-

"Here Prongs," James jolted and nearly turned Sirius into a slug as he interceded his trail of thoughts, but then his best friend did register, and he looked _pissed._ It was all to clear he was understanding this all just as well as James had, but where James still could hardly properly form what had become of this future, Sirius was well into another angry cycle of wanting to demolish the world, but for now settling on reading in blistering tones. At least he was more likely to get it all out without wanting to break down every five seconds with regret and pain, no Sirius was more likely to read it out with a colorful array of insults and death threats, but that was more bearable, because at least that would give them an easy focus. James passed the book along and leaned back as far as he could, then moved over until he had both Lily and Harry tight in his own arms, the only distraction that could give him peace.

**The cloaked man had conjured thick cords and was keeping Harry in place as they were wrapped around every bit of him. The shallow breathing coming from the shadowed face was fast and struggling. Despite Harry's attempts to get away, he was punched with a hand that held a missing finger.**

It had taken Harry a few beats longer to catch up with where everybody else was, but as the blow sank in and he pressed his hand to his face in shock and looked around him properly again, he distantly felt sorry for them all. He was still lost in the maelstrom of what had happened to Cedric, but to them someone else they'd all loved had fallen so much farther.

Lily looked disturbed, like the image of a man who'd been there the first time Harry had kicked in her womb could not be put on the same person who put a fist to his face for any reason! The boys looked monstrous, Remus more so than Harry had ever seen at his worst times. For the first time, Harry truly saw the shadow of a wolf reflect in his eyes when he heard one of his closest friends doing that. For one tiny moment Harry was convinced he'd see that look again, but Sirius was still snarling out every word as a promise of a death threat, that hand was coming off faster than his head now.

**Harry realized who was under the hood, Wormtail.**

Sirius couldn't use the nickname Harry had learned to associate that rat with, that would have actually broken him, that name meant too much to him. Instead he could only manage to refer to him as _him._ The word was used with such pure violence it wasn't hard to put it together.

**Harry tried to say something, but before he could a wad of thick material was shoved into his mouth. Then his ropes were checked for any slackness, but the knots were cutting into his skin with tightness.**

James was beside himself. He knew he'd never forgive what had happened, he'd betrayed him and Lily, and never for what he'd done to Sirius, but unintentionally, this whole time in the very smallest bit of his heart, he'd actually been hoping the rat would pull another switch. That little comment he'd made, there in the beginning about trying to use another other than Harry, well clearly this was what that conversation had been about, so whenever that time had come James had unbeknownst even to himself been praying to see a return of his friend, that he'd help Harry in a moment of redeemability. Now that was as dead as Cedric, another innocent person he'd rid himself of in his bid for his own protection.

**Harry couldn't turn his head to see much, so he was left staring at dark mist before him, while just on the edge of his vision Cedric's body was twenty feet away.**

Harry knew he should have felt betrayed at the part Wormtail was playing, and continue to blame himself for Cedric being there and now his death as well. At the time, he knew it had been his fault, if only he'd let Sirius and Remus kill him when they'd had the chance, none of this would be happening! Yet, Sirius' words still hovered enough that he didn't break down all over again, apologizing and begging forgiveness of this happening to an innocent person. Sirius didn't blame him for this happening, and that was what really mattered, it was in fact all the fault of a fallen Marauder.

**Just a few feet from him, the Triwizard Cup.**

Remus' mind was already forcing itself past the worst anger he'd ever felt in his life, and instead trying to come up with wild escape plans for Harry to get out of this, ironically which had been _his_ part in their pranking schemes, their escape route. Now he was stuck on those terrible memories and couldn't process what he'd been wanting to think of regarding the Cup.

**Harry's wand lay where it had fallen by Cedric, so Harry was defenseless against the smooth marble, still in pain with his scar burning against him. The swath of fabric on the ground was now twitching furiously where it had been set down, and Harry knew one thing for certain, he did not want to see what was under that bundle.**

Of that they all agreed with. They'd never wanted to think of this thing existing in the first place, now it was within reaching distance of where Harry was, and all they really wanted was a large rock to squish that moving cloth before it could do even worse than it already had.

**Wormtail had vanished for a time, but now he was coming back dragging the largest cauldron Harry had ever seen, which seemed to be filled with water.**

In spite of the bloodlust pumping through them all, this really was odd enough to distract them back into the actual act of the story, and what the bloody hell was going on? Why hadn't Harry just been killed outright, what potion was being brewed for whatever kind of situation this was? In spite of these questions and more, they were all entirely certain they wanted no answers, and yet Sirius forced himself to keep going, the faster he finished the faster he could get to the murder he was owed.

**Once it was set in place only a few feet away from where Harry was, a fire was lit beneath it, which quickly set the liquid within boiling. Not fast enough, as the cold voice commanded again to hurry.**

As menacing as Sirius sounded then, even his godfather still couldn't hold a candle to the icy venom of Voldemort's voice, which Harry oddly found some comfort in. Even with the backlash of murder curling his every syllable, it was of some ease to Harry he still couldn't fear for his life in here like he had that night.

**In the harsh light of the fire, Harry could pear inside the steaming bubbles, and saw the whole innards was encrusted with diamonds.**

Remus cocked his head to the side as something nagged at the back of his mind, what an oddly specific cauldron.

**Wormtail told his Master it was ready,**

James longed for a time where he would have beheaded someone else for insinuating the friend he knew would ever have called Voldemort Master as anything more than a joke.

**and shuffled over to the thing on the ground one last time. In lifting it up, Harry finally saw what had been swaddled, and his yell was only strangled off by his mouth having something blocked in it.**

Harry may not have anything blocking his airway now, but he thankfully still restrained himself from repeating that noise even if the look on his face did already show the level of horror they were fixing to hear.

**It was indeed in the shape of a child, but no infant that should ever exist.**

Lily couldn't get the disgust out of her that this blight had once held her own precious child, that the mockery of the moment was distorted beyond all recognition with _him_ having spent any amount of time caring for this new facet of Voldemort's wasted life.

**There was no hair, and every inch of skin was burnt red, the arms and legs were feeble and could not have supported itself, the face was flat and held snakelike features with ruby red eyes.**

Remus remembered back to that first chapter, how he'd considered the idea that Voldemort had somehow possessed a human child and that was how this thing was existing, he really had no other explanation for how it was even alive, but then again, he hadn't a clue from the beginning how any of this worked. Harry should have died that night but instead Voldemort had vanished, and still hadn't been killed himself. None of this was in the realm of possibilities he understood, so why was something about that cauldron lingering in his mind?

**Its fingers wrapped around Wormtail's neck as he lifted it up, and the cloak finally fell away from his face, revealing the revulsion on the servants face.**

Sirius couldn't deny the fact that he was pleased in the most twisted way it was possible to be. Even if he couldn't be skinning this useless critter alive right now, at least in some form he was still being forced to deal with the choice of his decision. Revulsion would soon be a happy memory of _his_ once Sirius got ahold of him, so he should enjoy it while it lasted.

**The being was carried to the cauldron and dropped inside, Harry could hear its body hit the bottom. Around his scar having its own fire on his forehead, he still managed the pleading thought of it drowning.**

Lily was trying to get her mind to go past what was being done to her son, to focus instead on what on earth this potion could be, but she was coming up blank. What could Voldemort be using, and still far more importantly, why was Harry there?!

**Wormtail was reciting to himself as he kept his wand held in his good hand, speaking to himself as he called for the bone of the father, unknowingly given, to renew its son.**

Remus was, well not happy by any means in this situation, but grateful he hadn't been the one to take the book away from James now, because he was entirely certain his voice would have failed him. It wasn't really _that_ potion.

**The ground cracked under Harry's feet, and a fine powder was being lifted away from the dirt upon the wands command, and fell into the vat. The clear surface hissed and frothed, now turning a vivid blue.**

James had not a single clue of what brew was being concocted in that, but from the one ingredient alone he was more confident than ever before he was not going to like the end results, and more than anything he wanted Harry away from it.

**Wormtail's voice was going even higher in fear as he tucked his wand away and instead pulled out a dagger, still forcing himself to speak through his own sobs,**

Sirius didn't even sound disturbingly happy anymore, he was too wrapped up in disgust for what he was forcing out.

**of the flesh of the servant, willingly given to revive his master.**

Remus had hated himself many moments over his life, but none more so than now, where there was no more doubt in his mind what that rat was actually doing, and it was all his fault.

**He had his right hand hovering over the boiling pot now, and was raising the dagger with purpose. He had it held at its highest point, and swung down.**

Lily replayed that sickening line one more time in her head, and still she wasn't prepared for what Sirius shot out next.

**Harry realized what was about to happen a moment before it did, his eyes snapped shut, and still he was forced to hear the wrenching cry of pain tearing through the night and the splash as the ingredient was consumed. Behind his closed lids, he knew the splash of red was the potion changing colors.**

Harry wasn't sure about the others, but for him this was still more traumatizing than anything. To even think about what Wormtail had done to himself, what he'd already done to Cedric. He knew he should have been angry, or scared, but the only thing still resonating was the pain this night had caused.

**He wasn't done quite yet. Sobbing harder than ever, his voice now inching closer to Harry, Wormtail brokenly recited the last line, blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, will resurrect his foe.**

Sirius roared that line more than anything. He'd been apoplectic when he'd learned what had been done to James, and even himself, but this still somehow managed to reach a new level of atrocity on his part. He was going to take what from Harry!

**Harry's eyes snapped open, but being directly below him Harry couldn't even look down to watch as he felt the cool metal pressing into his arm through the material of his robes, felt the pain as the knife cut through his arm and despite his desperate pulling to get away, blood ran free.**

One of the reasons Lily had always claimed to be good at potions was because of the details. If it said the twelfth scale plucked from an occamy, then you'd better be sure you counted right or the whole thing could be in a mess. So her mind was left spinning off, wondering if Harry hadn't been tied down, if he hadn't struggled, could whatever this was be prevented? Of course it was too late now, whatever was happening was being done, but since her life goal was to insure this would not be happening to her baby so long as she lived, even for a moment it felt good to think of some way to prevent this.

**His attempts weren't acknowledged, as a glass vial was pressed into the stream, and Wormtail staggered with his prize and let the droplets of blood splatter the surface. The whole thing turned the brightest of white, and his part done, Wormtail slumped to the ground, cradling his bleeding stump.**

Remus couldn't find anything in himself to feel hatred for that rat, or even a selfish glee at his pain, or anything much except for how much he hated himself.

**Harry could think of nothing anymore except for his silent prayers into the night for it all to have gone wrong.**

Harry shook his head sadly at his younger self. This moment had felt imminent from the first time he'd heard Hagrid speak the name, that was a child's wish, one that Harry had never been granted.

**It stopped as suddenly as it started, everything inside of the cauldron seemed to vanish and instead culminated in more steam streaming the area, and a dark figure was left standing in its midst. Still Harry kept begging of something, anything, for it all to have gone wrong.**

Sirius had absolutely no emotion in his voice as he pleaded Harry's thoughts, there was not a shred of hope left among them to even pretend that could be happening.

**A figure unfurled itself from the cauldron and stepped free, and commanded it was clothed. Wormtail sprung to, one handed as he fitted the previous robes over the tall figure. Then the face of nightmares turned and spotted Harry.**

**Lord Voldemort had risen again.**

They wished they could have been more surprised for that, tried to find some way to deny the heart pounding fear and misery they knew that would cause for the next foreseeable future, but considering they were currently living in the time where Voldemort reigned everywhere, that sentence just didn't have much of an impact on them other than the realization Harry was in the middle of that!

Sirius finished his chapter, but couldn't think of anything to say or do to show he had. His brain had shut down, it was too complicated to do more than keep a low growl resonating from his throat as his mind kept a single focus on who's fault all this was, which is why he was so thrown when Remus sobbed;

"My fault, it's all my fault!"

"Remus, you can't still be blaming yourself for him getting away!" Sirius snapped at once, he wasn't going to let him take blame for this any more than he would Harry, he'd been keeping half an eye on his pup this whole time to make sure he wasn't thinking the same, but so far he was mostly a frozen mask of shock. "I keep telling you, your sanity was more important to me than him, I'd make the same decision again in a heartbeat."

Remus clearly wasn't listening, burying his face in his hands and whispering that over and over again.

"Remus, Moony I'm begging you, if you know what that was, tell me." James begged, he was sick of listening to how one person kept ruining his life, but Remus talking like that was coming in a close second.

Remus kept his eyes tight shut, he couldn't bear to look at any of them, but somehow that nickname being used helped, it was still a symbol that meant more to him than he could put into words. He began whispering "I, well one time we got to looking up a ah, a cure for me." He was starting to shake uncontrollably, which hardly stopped when Sirius placed a hand on his shoulder, but he still kept going, "this was during the process of you guys trying to become animagus. H-he has having some difficulties with it, and he was really good at potions," he'd clearly directed that part at least at Harry, as all of them knew that. Maybe that's how he was even getting all of this out, he was building himself up to start trying to apologize to him, though none of them still understood why he was blaming himself, until he finished with.

"Well, we conned the Defense teacher into signing a book for us from the restricted section, it was a book on potions used for people who were, like me, suffering from, well things that they'd do anything to get out of their body for. We, we came across this one potion he really seemed to like, one that would give you a new body. Except, well I'd never seen such a disturbing potion. It required everything that was just mentioned, and no bleeding way was I going to consider hurting anyone to try and get this to work. Not to mention the bleeding thing could only be brewed at such a ridiculously specific time frame-"

"Would you stop! I'm more than confident Voldemort will have known about this potion all on his own, quit blaming yourself for everything," James insisted.

Remus wasn't exactly convinced, he still remembered back to that first chapter, and wondering why the rat hadn't deserted Voldemort as well. He must have had some knowledge of what was to come, insight into the plan of Voldemort's return, otherwise he should have abandoned that helpless little thing as surely as he had them. True that Voldemort could have somehow known about the potion another way, but the rat must have gone back to him with some form of a plan, something that would draw him back to his protector to ensure he'd stay just that.

Sirius still looked likely to force feed him this book if he didn't stop, so regardless of if he agreed, Remus stopped arguing the point. Sirius instead turned his attention on Harry when he realized this, and whispered, "It alright if I keep going pup? That chapter was over, and it's only going to get worse."

He was asking more for James than Harry though. This was clearly hurting him more than anything else, to continually realize what that traitor had done to his sons life. When Harry agreed though, and Prongs didn't say otherwise, Sirius forced himself to turn the page.

* * *

*Loved this pointed out by nahte123456, but clearly by this point Harry was so into the Tournament it would have been silly not to at least try his all in this last one and go for a win. Plus, I have every confidence whoever did touch the Cup still would have been killed, and Fake-Eye would have just got Harry sent there at the closest moment, so...


	34. THE DEATH EATERS

You guys really don't understand the amount of thanks I owe you all for being so supportive and sweet about this!

* * *

Sirius had lived through a lot of crap in his life, some real life shattering moments, but the act of forcing himself to read about the return of Voldemort, when he technically hadn't even fallen yet so they'd never even been allowed to live in that lifespan of peace like Harry had, really was doing something to his psyche as he got started.

**Voldemort looked away from Harry and began examining himself. His hands were like large, pale spiders.**

Harry almost longed for Sirius or someone trying to crack a joke during all of this, it would make what he was hearing feel even slightly better, his first thought that someone could have made a mention of how Ron would hate Voldemort just for that fact alone, but humor was going to be hard to come by until Harry was out of this danger.

**All his other features were as inhuman as well, pale and more sperant like than ever. He took no notice of Wormtail continuing to sob at his feet, still bleeding from his stump.**

'As much as he deserves, he's got a fate worse than Quirrell's coming up,' Remus viciously thought to himself.

**The large snake from Harry's dreams wasn't given much notice either as it continued slithering across the ground.**

**Voldemort put one of those unnatural hands into his pocket and came back with a wand, which he caressed with his new fingers.**

Lily gathered from that act that this must indeed be Voldemort's own wand, the one with the phoenix core he shared with Harry's. It took a moment for Lily to even push past her disgust at all the cruel things that wand had done to her, James, and what felt like everyone she ever loved, to even try to guess where it had even come from, until she remembered who'd been tending to Voldemort this whole time. Lily couldn't help but wonder for the first time if that rat had possibly made an appearance at their house that fateful Halloween night as well, if he'd come across the body of Voldemort and taken possession of his wand for safe keeping, or perhaps even a level of power, and then hid it away before he went underground as Scabbers. It didn't even seem that farfetched, as he hadn't a wand on him that night he'd been confronted by Sirius and Remus, so he'd held this one as a backup all these years. At the same time as she realized that though, it also meant he would have had to cross James body, and she hoped in the blackest way possible that had hurt him. To see what he'd cost in deceiving a man who still didn't want to believe the worst in him after everything.

**The first act he performed was to point it at Wormtail, who sailed back into the headstone**

James held a remarkable look on his face as he heard that, somewhere between demented humor that this was Peter's reward from Voldemort himself, and still some grains of wondering when he'd finally show regret for his decision.

**and again crumpled in pain, begging his master to help him, to keep his promise.**

**Voldemort indeed asked for his arm, but when he held up the stump hopefully, Voldemort pushed that aside and instead tried to snatch the other one. Wormtail again whimpered and pleaded his Master to help him,**

Sirius got through that exchange like an executioner reading out the final charges. It really was easier to think of this cretin as some corpse going through these motions rather than someone he'd once put such trust in, put his own life in those hands, one of which was now gone in a willingly given gesture for these actions to be occurring.

**but Voldemort ignore this and pushed back the sleeves of his unbloodied sleeve. There Harry spotted something branded into the skin, the same image that had hovered in the sky the night of the World Cup, the Dark Mark.**

**Voldemort pressed one of his long white fingers into it, and Harry's scar imploded with pain again.**

Remus' mind flashed back through all the mentions of Snape and Karkaroff talking about something on their arm, and then to find the same thing now on that foul little rat, it couldn't really be a coincidence. But what was it exactly?

**Voldemort straitened with satisfaction, murmuring to himself that now he would know the brave to return,**

Lily had not a clue what was going on, what Voldemort was doing, nor where on earth that tattoo had come from. What she did gather was the fact that it seemed to be some sort of calling symbol, and that meant even more bad news was about to arrive.

**and those foolish enough to stay away.**

Harry was rubbing at his forearm thoughtfully, some lingering thoughts floating just beyond his conscious mind of how he felt about those questions.

**Voldemort began pacing across Harry's field of vision, his ruby eyes again falling on the gagged teenager as he informed him that Harry stood upon the bones of his late father. Much like Harry's mother**

James had already grown up hating Voldemort through his life, but in that moment where he actually referred to Lily, James wanted to see him dead more than ever. No one got to talk about his wife like that!

**both had died but held their uses.**

"Uses?" Lily spat in disgust. "I lived trying to protect my son, that's more than he'll ever understand."

**Lily Potter had died defending her son,**

Sirius would forever hate himself for having to say that, and still having even the slightest bit been involved in that happening, but then he conjured back the image of telling his wasteful parents that their precious Voldemort was in fact a half-blood with parent issues, and it gave him enough breath back to keep going.

**and Voldemort had killed his father,**

"So it was Voldemort who killed Riddle and his own grandparents," Remus marveled, wondering why he was even shocked. There were some questions in there he was curious about, like why, but this was Voldemort he was thinking about, he'd never really needed much of a reason to kill anybody, especially Muggles, certainly ones he was related too would be eliminated at Voldemort's earliest convenience.

**and look how useful he'd been in his death.**

Harry rubbed at his forehead a bit at that, there was a significance to what Voldemort had said about a father being useful in death...his eyes flickered to his own and away, he didn't like to think of his dad as dead in any sense even if it might have been helpful to him in his past.

**Voldemort gave a soft laugh again as he continued his pacing, that snake still circling in the grass below mimicking his movement.**

"I want to know what's with that thing?" James muttered of no one, anything to keep the feeling alive that they were hearing of this in the room rather than having to think about Harry living it. "They were only using its weird venom to keep Voldemort alive, yet he named it didn't he. What's so speical about this snake?"

"I'm not really that surprised," Remus shrugged, "Voldemort claims to be the descendant of the Great Salazar Slytherin, I can easily picture him with some snake for a pet now."

"I can't picture him with anything resembling a pet," Lily disagreed, "he doesn't have the capacity to take care of a goldfish."

"We should just be thankful it's whatever this is, and not a basilisk," Sirius muttered.

Harry wasn't that grateful for his dad's comment, that annoying feeling cropping up again of an answer that should have been there. There was indeed something very significant about Nagini he just wasn't remembering.

**Voldemort began telling Harry his story, how his own father had lived just over on that hill. His mother had lived in the village and fell in love, but Riddle had abandoned her when he found out what she was, his father hadn't liked magic.**

"Oh joy, just what I always wanted, more Voldemort backstory," Sirius groused.

Lily on the other hand couldn't help but picture someone else saying this, someone who was now in Voldemort's ranks himself. Snape had made many of the same comments about his own father from time to time. It never failed to sadden her just how much alike her old friend and Voldemort seemed to be, far more than Snape and her had ever had in common it seemed.

**He'd abandoned her while pregnant and not looked back, and she'd died giving birth to him, leaving him in an orphanage with the foul name of Tom Riddle, of the very same man who he now vowed revenge on.**

Remus shook his head in disgust the longer this dragged on. "While no one's arguing the guy's an arse for trying to abandon his kid, I'm still struggling to wrap my head around how this turned him into the greatest evil in our world. And now I'm even wondering why he was named after his father, did the orphanage find out about that name through the mother before she died and gave it to him, because it's not like that Riddle seemed to have a say in it."

"You are reading far too much into this," Sirius sighed. "Just hate him and start plotting ways to stop this from happening like the rest of us."

**Voldemort seemed to catch himself as he realized he was becoming sentimental, recounting his life story for Potter,**

"There's one thing I don't think anyone in the world's ever called that megalomaniac," James rolled his eyes.

**but now his real family was arriving.**

Sirius sneered at the word family, absolutely convinced that Voldemort had no clue what that meant any more than the pathetic rat he employed.

**The air was filled with the swishing of cloaks in long black attire and all faces covered as they Apparated as one. For a moment none moved, frozen in shock, until one finally shuffled forward, and flung itself at Voldemort's feet, kissing the hem of his robes.**

Remus was flickering through all the known Death Eaters he'd heard about, and any one of them were considered so full of themselves it really was laughable whichever one it was groveling like that, making it all the more unbelievable they bowed to anyone, even Voldemort.

**Soon they were all doing it, until Voldemort waved his hands that was enough, and then they all backed away and formed a circle around them with some noticeable gaps. Leaving Voldemort and Harry in the center, and a sobbing Wormtail still curled on the ground.**

James wanted to ask Harry exactly how many there were, but he was honestly already faint at the idea of just how outnumbered his son was. The question had only occurred to him because he was pissed of how many free Death Eaters were out there. They'd known of some numbers, but this felt ridiculous that the Ministry hadn't been able to get so many of Voldemort's inner circle.

**Voldemort didn't seem to be expecting anymore, as he began addressing them all by reminding them of how long it had been. Thirteen years, and they came to his call as if nothing had changed, still united.**

**Then he inhaled deeply, those blood-red eyes taking in all those around him as he stated he smelt their guilt.**

Sirius had the mad desire to laugh. The way Voldemort was speaking to them, it all felt as theatrical as possible. He'd had a sense back when he'd been dealing with that odd diary that Voldemort had a grandiose idea of himself, but to be speaking like this really did just put a spin on how ridiculous the man sounded.

**Voldemort stood before these men, healthy and free, and Voldemort asked himself why none before him had aided their master before this night.**

Remus made a thrumming noise in his throat of deep curiosity as well, while not in the same light as Voldemort he did wonder the same. Like Sirius, he did wonder what exactly drew these people to Voldemort, if it was all to gain a bit of power than they should have been actively looking for the man who could give that back to them. Yet it had been a rat to find him and make this possible. This either meant he wasn't hard to find by Death Eater standards, or more likely since Dumbledore hadn't been able to find this husk, the rat had simply been the dedicated one to figure it out. His thoughts went back to that Pensive, of that deranged woman screaming about how Voldemort would reward her for being so loyal, and he was starting to wonder if in her own twisted way she'd been right. Voldemort was surely ticked at all of these that had been free and not spent every waking hour before now to make this moment happen.

**No one spoke. No one moved except Wormtail, who was upon the ground, still sobbing over his bleeding arm.**

Every time that was mentioned Sirius somehow still managed to add an extra layer of menace into his voice, even listening to all this Voldemort crap he still managed to somehow hate this most of all.

**Voldemort answered his own question, how his followers had believed him broken and gone. They'd slipped back to society pleading ignorance and bewitchment.**

"I'd make a joke about how talking to himself has made him go as mad as Crouch has, but I guess we already knew that ship has sailed," James huffed.

"There's still a chance he's gone even more up the ladder," Lily reminded, "getting blasted out of your body most likely does something to your mental health as well."

"I'm so sure Voldemort cares deeply about this," Remus rolled his eyes at the pair even if he did manage a smile, they're comments really did seem to be helping Harry as a constant reminder that they were here for him.

**He returned by asking himself why they would believe such a thing? When he'd shown them all the steps he'd taken to defeat mortality.**

Sirius narrowed his eyes curiously at that, hoping that if this monologuing was going to continue, at least Voldemort could go into details about this part. Sirius wanted to know what exactly those steps were, they'd clearly been the thing to keep him alive against a rebounding Killer Curse.

**They'd seen his proof of becoming mightier than any alive being.**

"I can not get over how full of himself he is," Lily shook her head with a twist of her lips. "I'm now grateful that in the times where he's fought our side he's never tried to monologue during it."

"Though if he had, we'd have this problem nipped by now," James pointed out, "so maybe that's how we get rid of this guy, try to get him talking about himself."

"I'll make a list of conversation starters," Sirius rolled his eyes at the pair.

**He again answered himself that his loyal followers could have perhaps traded allegiance to that of their enemy, Dumbledore.**

**His circle shivered as one, some even murmured this not to be true, but still they were ignored as Voldemort continued speaking to himself about how disappointed he was.**

"First bit of good news I've heard all night," Remus grumbled.

"Wish he'd stay that way," Sirius agreed.

**One man collapsed to his knees again, begging his Master to forgive them, forgive them all.**

**Voldemort's** **response was to use Crucio on him.**

**The Death Eater writhed on the ground, shreking in agony, while Harry was left silently begging for someone nearby to have heard.**

Lily's arm kept tightening around her baby all the time, sure she'd never gripped anything so tight in her life to assure herself Harry was right here beside her now, not being forced to live through this again any more than he had to. Pity didn't quite define what she felt for her baby. She completely understood his desperate desire for help to arrive, but she had no doubts that not a soul actually knew where he was, and no Muggle could do a thing for him.

**Voldemort lifted his curse, and commanded Avery to get back to his feet. Voldemort would not be forgiving anyone until they repaid their thirteen years of service owed.**

"I'm hoping you won't live past the next thirteen minutes," Sirius snapped, "so Avery's not going to get his chance."

**Another high pitched sob drew Voldemort's attention back to Wormtail, admitting to himself that at least this one had already started on that path. Reminding him that he deserved this pain-**

James was trembling, wheather in rage or despair no one was sure, for that being so irrevocably true and he still wanted more than anything for it to not be.

**to which Wormtail moaned in agreement even while still begging his Master to help him.**

Remus was starting to get concerned about letting Sirius continue like this, it just couldn't be good for his health, or throat, to keep reading about that in the most violent way possible, but as it was the only release Sirius could find instead of murdering that rat like he deserved, Remus wasn't going to be the one to stop him.

**Voldemort nodded to himself, saying that while worthless, Wormtail had been of service, and Voldemort rewarded that.**

Lily already realized that rat had broken her list of people who needed to be purged from her life, but now every time she was forced to see the reaction it gave James it was still somehow made worse every time.

**Voldemort gave another flick of his wand, and something silver materialized in the air, which sunk down to Wormtail's level and developed into a fist over his stump. His sobbing finally ceasing, Wormtail sat up and inspected the now gleaming metal, flexing his fingers in surprise.***

The fact that he was actually being rewarded really did somehow feel like the worst part. Like their friendship, this family, all the times they'd shared over the past years of their life hadn't been enough for him, and he'd gone crawling to everything they'd ever stood against, and somehow he actually still hadn't shown an ounce of remorse for his choice.

**He remained on the ground for a moment longer as he began kissing the hem of his Master's robes, thanking him for such a thing.**

Sirius didn't care how long he lived, that image would forever be branded into his brain and he couldn't ever peel it away no matter how much it hurt, how much he still didn't want it to be true and still wanted to end his life before any of this could begin.

**Voldemort told Wormtail that this was a sign Wormtail would never again question his loyalties, to which was instantly agreed.**

For some reason something of what Dumbledore had once said tried to come floating back to the surface of Harry's mind, something about how Harry actually would one day be thankful that Wormtail was so heavily involved in all of this. Harry believed that now more than ever as he heard about this hand.

**Wormtail finally got to his feet and entered the circle, while Voldemort began addressing more individuals, starting with Lucius.**

"Wow, so we were right, Malfoy is part of the inner circle," Lily huffed, her own mind still distracted, caught on the never ending realization they'd all been suffering through that one of their own was now a part of the same thing.

**Voldemort began with reproach, asking how someone who had made it so high in the Ministry's rankings had never come to his Lord's aid.**

**Malfoy swore he'd always kept a watchful ear out, if ever he'd heard the slightest sound of his Master's return he would have been there-**

"Is it wrong to say I'm actually enjoying listening to him beg like this," Sirius got out through gritted teeth, the opposite of looking like he was enjoying any part of this.

Nobody responded, they weren't entirely sure how much of a joke that was supposed to be, as well as Sirius could find his own pleasure in whatever he needed right now anyways so they wouldn't tell him off for it regardless.

**Voldemort cut him off by reminding he'd fled when the Mark had been cast in the sky.**

**Mr. Malfoy instantly stopped his speech.**

"I can not get over the fact that Harry's referring to him as Mr. Malfoy," Remus directed at Lily, hoping the friendly reminder of when Harry had first met Hagrid would make even one slight worry line disappear from her face.

**Voldemort told how disappointed he was in this, and expected more faithful service in the future.**

Harry wondered why he thought he should have a feeling about that, some sense of something telling him the Malfoy line and Voldemort's service could hold something to him...

**Voldemort moved on from him then, where a double space could have housed two people. Voldemort stared as if he still saw them there, murmuring to himself about the Lestranges.**

Sirius' hard face managed to give an extra spasm of hatred at the reminder of his family. He already knew what had become of one of his cousins, Narcissa had married a Malfoy and he was honestly surprised she hadn't been mentioned right along with Lucius, and he'd heard rumors of what Bellatrix had become, if he wasn't mistaken this was in fact her new last name. Only Andromeda had made anything good of herself, at least he hoped she'd stayed that way in all these years.

**He knew of their life in Azkaban, how they were there because they had not renounced their ways, and Voldemort swore when Azkaban was broken they would be honored for this.**

Remus shook his head in disgust, thinking back to that Pensive and that woman who had believed this same thing. Guess she had been right, though with any luck she was long dead, it would certainly serve her right. They had no confirmation if Crouch's son had been involved in what happened to the Longbottoms, but she certainly hadn't done a thing to make it seem she hadn't otherwise, so Azkaban was a rightful resting place for a wretched being like that.

**Then he mentioned how easy this would be with the dementors joining their side,**

"I believe that," James shivered, "Dumbledore's always said it's a miracle they haven't deserted us already, the majority of them have already. I keep hearing fewer numbers are keeping their prison in check all the time."

"Well we need a new prison anyways," Lily snapped, "so good riddance to them."

**as well as the giants and all manner of dark creatures.**

Remus gave a particularly vicious shiver at that, it really wasn't his favorite job he now had to be helping keeping tabs on a select group of those fearsome monsters, he among them.

**Voldemort moved on to face Macnair, speaking of his job in the Ministry as a beast executioner.**

Sirius had an individual hatred for that loon, the one who'd tried to kill Buckbeak, the same creep who'd walked around with an axe the whole time around children. It really didn't surprise him in the slightest he was among these high ranking, he was the kind you had probably found burning live kittens in his youth.

**Next he addressed Crabbe and Goyle, only sparing enough words to gain their promises of further loyalty.**

"Wow, and here I thought their kids were just meat suites without brains," James said nastily. "Turns out they're as trollish as their own dad's."

Lily hummed without comment that time, etching all of these into her own mental list, some of the worry for her son finally lessening just slightly enough she was realizing how useful all this information could be to the Order, they were getting a handpicked list of the elite after all, many of which were indeed still active in the Ministry now. She'd worry about details on how to nail them all after Harry was out of there, she'd still rather have the ignorance of not knowing than how she was learning this.

**They bowed clumsily, muttering dully.**

"That about describes everything they do," Sirius snarked.

**After Nott was next named, Voldemort stopped in front of the largest gap, where he claimed six should stand. Three had died, one was clearly too cowardly to return, and another had long since left his service and would pay with his life. The last of which Voldemort already knew of and still remained his faithful servant.**

"That was mentioned once before too wasn't it?" Lily muttered to herself. "Someone faithful who'd been helping him out along with- the first one we heard about." Her throat wasn't quite able to swallow all of a sudden it was so dry, and she trailed off from there with nothing more to add on. The one name Voldemort hadn't given, the one they really wanted to know.

Remus was keeping his own running list in his head, and realized that at least two of those most likely referred to Karkaroff and Snape, though he had no clue who was who. He didn't really think that was giving them too much credit anymore, not the way they'd been speaking all year about something like this happening. All he was left wondering who the third was. Could it be one of those two who were his most faithful and had been helping him out as well, or someone else altogether they hadn't even heard about yet.

**Voldemort informed those around him his faithful servant was at Hogwarts, and was the reason they were all here tonight.**

James made a demented noise. He somehow had found a new level for hate on either Karkaroff or Snape. His money was on Snape, but since it really had been either of them to put his son in there, they were going to suffer for it in the worst way he could conceive.

**All attention was turned back on Harry now, some would even call him their guest of honor.**

"Well I'm certainly not that some, and you need to not ever say that again," Lily snapped to no one, knowing she couldn't stand Voldemort taunting Harry being there much longer without blasting down a wall of her house in anger.

**Voldemort let the silence continue until Malfoy spoke up again, craving his Lord to tell how this miracle had become.**

**Voldemort** **agreed he'd share the tale, which all began, and ended, with Harry Potter.**

Aside from the abundance of information regarding names they were being force fed from his meeting, James wondered if he'd get something even more important to him. Would Voldemort finally divulge the very reason he'd started with his boy in the first place?

**He began by recounting this boy as his downfall, all the while Harry was only just managing to follow along every word with his scar in agony.**

Lily was mouthing her anger that on top of all this Harry was in fact in pain this whole time, if being in close contact to the essence of Voldemort had hurt Harry, then she could only imagine how that had increased with his own body. Her only saving grace for now was that it wasn't happening to him now, he still kept himself still as possible, one hand curled securely around her, the other hooked into James. James had been randomly patting it this whole time as a reminder to himself as well, thankful beyond words their infant had never been brought back down to be any part of this.

**Stating the fabled tale of how his mother had died to save him,**

Lily's touch seemed to warm Harry all the more. Not that he'd ever forget that for a moment in his life, nor ever be able to find happiness in the act of her life being cost, but there was still something he could never put into words of the magic of the act that went beyond any spell.

**and how she'd unwittingly given him life that night, something that had not been foreseen. Voldemort could not touch him.**

Remus was starting to get a bad feeling about this, his fingers already tightening around his wand as he remembered the last time Voldemort had tried to act on that and had nearly choked Harry to death. Why was Voldemort even keeping Harry alive now? He'd played his part in the resurrection potion, was it all really for gloating now?

**Voldemort raised one of his long white fingers and put it very close to Harry's cheek.**

Harry had to beat back the impulse to lean away from those touching him now, that horrible ingrained pain still trying to remind him it had once existed in his scar, soon to be even worse though he wouldn't have believed that possible.

**Voldemort whispered and still all heard that the sacrifice of old magic had been overlooked,**

"You make that mistake a lot," Sirius snapped cheerfully, "and it's put a hole in your boat so many times I hope it never stops."

"Sirius, I don't think that's actually a saying," James sighed more than joked back.

"Well it is now," Sirius replied like that was obvious, and for a moment as the two best friends met eyes something felt normal even for just that second before Sirius forced himself to resum.

**but in the end, all in vain. Harry Potter could now be touched.**

**He placed the tip of his finger against Harry's scar, who screamed harder than he had in his life, now convinced his head was being cleaved in two.**

**Voldemort hissed a laugh in his ear, but pulled away to continue.**

"Wha-How!?" Lily screeched, her arm starting to shake across Harry's shoulders. The thing she'd been able to leave him with, a sliver of protection she'd lost her life for, and now even that was gone. She felt like a failure as a mother, nothing she'd ever done had been enough for him.

Lily looked as likely to burst into tears of frustration as murder someone in that moment, so Remus felt like he was poking his own death as he reminded, "the potion that resurrected him Lily. He used Harry's blood, that makes them as connected as their wands now." He'd thought the others had realized this, it made sense when you went back and realized why Voldemort had wanted to use only Harry for this when that rat had been right, it would have been easier to get a hold of another other than Harry for this.

Apparently not as the others lost an extra shade of color, all false bravado of pretending this was okay falling out the window. Stupidly, Harry had felt a teensy bit safer with at least the knowledge Voldemort couldn't lay a hand on Harry, now even that was taken from them!

Sirius was looking from the book, to each of them in turn, like he was waiting for someone to actually offer some good news, something that would make this bearable for him to keep going. No one was, that ship had long sailed, and instead Sirius just wanted this chapter to end with Harry getting out of this place already.

**His fault had been his downfall, and he was stripped from his body with pain he could not begin to describe. Still he did not despair, as some of the measures he'd taken for immortality had seemed to take affect, but not in the way he'd hoped. He had no body, and no way to use a wand,**

James could feel the powder he was grinding his teeth to in frustration. In all this talking and posturing and making his life a living hell, Voldemort was still holding back on the important details, like an example of those bleeding experiments so they could make sure this didn't happen when James removed this snake's head!

**so he'd been forced to exist in that state of being as he snuck away to a safe forest he knew of, waiting in vain for the help he should have expected from one of his loyal followers.**

**Those around him all shivered again in fear, and Voldemort let the silence linger for emphasis before continuing.**

"If only he'd kill them all and save us the job," Sirius snarled.

**The only way he found temporary solace he'd found was when a young, foolish wizard had found him, and in luck's favor, had even been employed in Dumbledore's very school.**

"What do I have to pay this guy to make him stop already," James moaned. He was sick with worry every passing moment Harry was there a second longer, and now they were having to hear about all of this stuff again they'd already had to live through. Harry didn't need this in his life repeated a third time, it had already nearly killed him the first two!

**His goal had been the Philosopher's Stone, but again he'd been thwarted by Harry Potter.**

"Did we ever congratulate you for doing that?" Remus sighed as he tried to usher back to a time where Voldemort popping out of Quirrell's head was the worst part of their day.

He didn't know what kind of answer he was expecting, but Harry not answering wasn't an encouraging one. He was still acting distant to the world around him. This night in the graveyard, what he'd already witnessed happening to Cedric, it was enough to drive anyone mad the first time around, now he was being forced to hear it all again. The one and only thing that seemed to be keeping him here was whatever response he got from his parents.

**That struggle had ended with the death of Quirrell, and he was left as weak as ever.**

"Please don't tell me he's going to start recounting your second year as well," Sirius groaned.

"That's actually an interesting question of if he even knows," Remus reminded. "We never even understood how a bit of his soul got into that diary, and Harry killed it with the basilisk fang. I can't imagine why Voldemort would know anything about it, considering it was aged so many years before the body he's in now, so the most he'd say was a passing comment about Harry doing that when he felt a bit of his soul die." Remus kind of wanted to keep going, that old intriguing question of what exactly would be happening if that Voldemort soul part had succeeded and come back to life. Would it have merged with the rest of this body, or stayed two separate entities? He was clearly the only one thinking on this, and knew the others were long since done with this whole night and wanted it to be over. Remus didn't even really care for finding answers to this, it was just easier to postulate ridiculous ideas like this than have to keep thinking of Harry tied to a headstone.

**Voldemort had returned to his hiding, giving up hope.**

James released a torrent of sounds as he begged this to end there no matter how much he knew otherwise. The next part, the bit where he had indeed gotten exactly what he wanted, was still the worst part of all.

**Even he hadn't expected the change to come, when Wormtail had been driven out of hiding by once friends and forced to seek out his old Master.**

Harry again felt the burn of Trelawney's prophecy tormenting his life, now complete and in the flesh. What he would give to go and take back his part in this coming true.

**This had been accomplished through his curious affinity with rats.**

"One that he thankfully can't retain in death, so look for some silver lining," Lily hissed under her breath.

**The rodents had whispered of the forests of Albania where their kind sensed evil, and Wormtail had made his way there. All had almost been lost before it even begun, as Wormtail stumbled into Bertha Jorkins. Showing a spot of intelligence none would have guessed from him, Wormtail had continued to work this in his favor and a wealth of information was born from that woman.**

Sirius hated himself for somehow still finding new ways to despise that miserable bit of existence. He just wanted to have him dead already and be done with that part of his life, this continuing to be dragged out always managed to find new ways of torturing him along.

**Through persuasion, she'd told of the Triwizard Tournament, and even after a Memory Charm had been broken, divulged of a faithful Death Eater willing to go to Voldemort's service. Once she'd shared all she knew, her mind and body were damaged beyond repair.**

Harry couldn't even imagine what Bertha's last few moments of life had been like, but he could understand a small bit of her pain. He felt it every time a powerful memory was returned to his own mind after some kind of Memory blocking had been put on him. He was going slow, relearning this bit by bit, and he still felt like it was slowly driving him mad. He couldn't imagine someone being forced to have it all come back at once, that really would drive a person out of their own skull.

Remus shook his head in disgust at himself, this was all so clear in hindsight. Bertha had worked in the Department of Magical Cooperation, and would have known about the Tournament before hand like every other employee there. When Voldemort had previously mentioned how useful her information had been, that had been what helped put this whole plan into action. The reason her memory had gone from so good in the way they remembered to this way was because she'd had a Memory Charm placed on her, and then broken in the worst way. Now the only thing he was left wondering was who was the servant that had executed that plan, and who'd placed it on her in the first place, what had been hidden that revolved that secret?

**Voldemort shown his scarlet eyes on Wormtail, admitting his own shock at such an ill adapted wizard accomplishing all that.**

A distant part of James absently noted how even Voldemort kept downplaying Peter's skills when they'd been the very things to get Voldemort where he was now. It seemed everyone constantly mocked and laughed at him, and yet the Marauders never had, but instead encouraged and helped along what he was good at. What had they done so wrong that had forced their friend away?

**A plan had been formed from Bertha's information, and while Voldemort had been nursed back to health using Nagini's venom, the potion was being prepared that gave Voldemort the body he now possessed. They had the first ingredient of unicorns blood, but still needed the rest. The flesh had been provided, the bone would detail the setup of where this would happen.**

Lily hadn't believed she could be any more shocked tonight, but still she managed to utter in surprise, "so, his Death Eaters know he's not a pureblood?"

"I, um, guess they do," James wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about that, but he knew at some point in the future when he sadly would go back thinking to this he'd be disappointed. They'd been planning to spread this information around, hopefully discredit Voldemort's top people in hopes they'd desert him, and now that plan seemed as useless as anything else they'd ever tried to do.

**The blood of the foe had been the tricky part. Wormtail had been happy to use anyone, but Voldemort knew the one he must have. To share Harry Potter's blood, so that the lingering magical protection would now be in his own veins.**

Lily looked beyond disgusted at the idea. She'd thought it repulsive to share anything with Petunia, but this was just as bad! How dare the very thing that kept trying to hurt her son somehow manage to house his very protection!

The boys were suddenly aware of a way to kill Voldemort, release Lily on him. She looked so fearsome in that moment if she'd actually had her target present, not even a puddle would be left of him.

**The question of how to reach Harry Potter was the issue, as the boy was so well protected in ways Dumbledore had planned from the moment this started.**

That question made something occur to Remus for the first time, but it was such a small thing making a blip in his mind as compared to the other more pressing matters he knew he couldn't be bothered to question that until he had the much better knowledge of hearing Harry be free of this nightmare.

 **Ancient** **magic was invoked to ensure the boy's protection as long as he was in his relations' care.**

James brain felt like a broken record, all he'd been managing to due for ages now was utter, "wait, what?" Always feeling one step behind now.

Lily's face squinched up in pain as she processed this, muttering, "I've never heard of that."

"I can believe it though," Remus said sourly. "It doesn't excuse what Dumbledore did in even the slightest bit in not checking in on Harry with those abusive excuse for people, but it still always blew my mind of why he'd been put there in the first place when neither of you ever even mentioned Petunia's existence."

Sirius wished that at any time Harry had ever demanded of Dumbledore why he had to keep going back there, if Dumbledore would really use the excuse Harry was safer there than out because of some protective magic. No magic was infallible, and safe was the last thing Harry was at the hands of those Dursleys.

Harry watched them all with fascination, surprised he'd finally been dragged out the recesses of his mind to focus in on them muttering about the Dursleys again. He supposed if there was someone to rival their hatred of Voldemort and Wormtail, it was Vernon and Petunia, not that this was at all comforting. Harry at once wanted to sink back into not having to listen to anymore words, if he kept trying to understand past that to those around him he was going to suffer even more pain for the realization he was living through all of this because the scene around him would never happen in his own time. Sadly, now that he'd been snapped out, he couldn't find the distance to go back.

**Then there had been the Quidditch Cup, where his body had still been too weak to attempt a kidnap around so many, but then more of Bertha's information had been of use. Voldemort had placed his faithful Death Eater at Hogwarts, who'd ensured Harry's name would be placed in the Goblet of Fire.**

"Holy Godric Gryffindor!" Sirius yelped.

"We are complete morons," James gasped as that was slapped into his face.

"This whole bleeding time, we were thinking they were actually two unrelated, Merlin's pants are we something stupid," Remus snarled as he nearly ripped the sleeve of his robe off he was pulling on it so hard in agitation.

That one really should have clicked together when Harry had appeared here, but in between Cedric dying and the appearance of that rat, it had been hard to think past anything else. Now they realized that in fact, this whole year had been one big set up to this end, and they all felt like fools for not grasping this sooner.

Harry wasn't going to let them wallow in their misery for long, failing to come up with an encouraging smile in his search for something to say, but still getting out, "if it makes you all feel any better, no one else figured this out either. Really, how could anyone have known that Voldemort's ultimate plan was for me to win some competition."

Lily supposed when he put it that way it did sound ridiculous, but it still didn't erase how bleeding frustrating it always was to find themselves lost amongst all these plans around Harry until it was too late. Still she forced some chipper into her voice as she agreed with him, if anything just because it was the first time he'd spoken in ages and she wanted to encourage that as much as possible.

Sirius forced himself to keep going at this point just because he saw an end in sight of this chapter.

**His faithful Death Eater had ensured Potter's first place, and transformed the Triwizard Cup into a Portkey so that they could all be here now, far from Dumbledore's protection.**

None of that was helping narrow out their two suspects, both had access to all of that.

**Now here he was at their mercy, the one who everyone believed to be Voldemort's downfall.**

"And will be again, and again, and again, until you learn to stay the hell away from him," James snarled, his own arm tightening around his wife and son possessively which would stay that way until Voldemort was gone.

**Voldemort moved slowly forward and turned to face Harry. He raised his wand,**

Harry recognized what was coming a moment before he watched Sirius utter that spell.

**and used Crucio.**

When the memory of that pain surged in his mind, but didn't actually make a comeback on him, Harry forced himself to slowly relax back into his parents grip, trying to insist upon his brain that wasn't happening to him now, but it helped nothing when he couldn't convince himself this still wasn't the most painful part of his night.

**This was pain beyond anything imaginable, his eyes were rolling in his head, he knew the only relief he'd ever feel again was the blackness of death.**

Sirius felt tears stinging at the edge of his vision as he forced himself to read of that happening to his pup. He could hardly imagine the idea without wanting to throw himself in front of Harry now. The infant in the crib, the fourteen year old suffering through this for the first time alone and helpless, or even the adult now cushioned between his parents. Absolutely none of it could ever be comprehended in any way other than the worst torture in the world to imagine that happening to Harry.

**It stopped as suddenly as it started, and if Harry hadn't been bound in place, there was no way he'd be upright.**

**Voldemort** **looked pleased as the night run with laughter from his followers.**

Whatever the opposite of laughter was, Remus could hear himself making that, but forcing himself to do it as privately as he could, he didn't want Sirius to stop now, he was to desperate to hear of the something else, anything else happening than Harry torture until he got out of there which wasn't happening soon enough.

**Still, Voldemort swore that while it would be easy to dispose of this child, he wanted no one in doubt of his own true power. Harry Potter would be killed now, with no Dumbledore protection, and no mother to die for him.**

There was not a shadow of a doubt in anyone's mind that Lily would make that call over and over again, but it didn't explain why something came over Harry's expression when he heard that. In fact Harry had looked the same way every time one of his parents had come up for a while now, what was it about this night that had him feeling so much for the two. Was it possible Voldemort would start taunting their last moments again, Harry had looked much like he was now when that had happened before.

**Instead, Harry Potter was to be released, and handed back his wand.**

"That was the stupidest thing he could have done," Remus sneered, "as I finally figured out the way you're going to get out of there, putting Voldemort in his place."

"I think you lot have far too much faith in me," Harry whispered, still keeping a tight hand on each of his parents. "No, whatever did save me from that place, it wasn't my doing, it was Voldemort's own fault, again."

"Well whatever the case, let's be done with it," Sirius pleaded, of whom even he wasn't sure.

* * *

*Did anyone else first read this moment and think, 'oh my god he's going to kill Remus!' I mean, I'm happy I was wrong, but come on, the silver hand, he'd already been a hand in killing one Marauder and trying to kill another, (yes I consider leaving Sirius when he did was as good as a death sentence.) Remus was the only one he hadn't personally had a chance at yet...

 

This chapter was all information insert, it's the next one that'll be the big one for us all...


	35. PRIORI INCANTATEM

I reached a new bracket of love in your review count guys! Would never have even dreamed I'd get this much attention when I started, and it's all thanks to you guys!

* * *

Harry recognized that he was supposed to read next, and he was actually as surprised with himself as everyone else as he indicated he wanted his turn. There was something about what was fixing to come, some part of this nightmare night in the graveyard that, though the worst night of his adolescent life, held a meaning to him. It involved his parents, of that he'd known from the moment he arrived, and Harry wanted to be the one to regain the moment with his own words. So despite the fact that he had to let go of his hold on his mother and father, Harry took the book, straightened his back, and let the memories of that night come in without a fight.

**Harry scrambled to find his feet to support his weight before the ropes were untied.**

Lily groaned as she remembered Harry was injured on top of everything, that spider bite and his sprained ankle all on the same leg, there was hardly a chance of him properly dueling, let alone making a run for it.

**Wormtail used his new hand to easily tear away Harry's restraints, and just as roughly pulled the material out of his mouth.**

"Why do you call him that?" James demanded of Harry in a tone he'd never heard before.

Harry flinched at the near demonic look in his dad's eye, but explained himself calmly enough. "Because that rat deserves that nickname, it's the only way I've ever known him as that traitorous word."

The Marauders disagreed, thinking that backstabber didn't deserve a single thing they'd ever given him, and that name was one of the most important ones to them. However, they could see Harry's side, he'd never known Peter the person, but the man who'd gotten his parents killed while using that name.

Lily still wondered why Voldemort did, but she thought Harry had said it unintentionally. Voldemort had made it clear that while he rewarded Pettigrew for the help he'd given, Voldemort wanted to constantly remind him of what he'd lost. Using that nickname every time was rubbing salt in the wound, a slap in the face every day to remind him of what he'd once done.

Harry knew how much this hurt them every single second to be reminded of who they were hearing do this to him, but he couldn't see how using a different name would actually make it better as he forced himself on.

**The moment he landed, his first thought was to try and run, but that was made impossible as his damaged leg shook beneath him, and the Death Eaters closed ranks. Just beyond them, Wormtail was returning with Harry's wand, which he roughly gave back without looking at him.**

Lily noticed for the first time that this seemed to be a common thing, the rat hadn't been looking at Harry all night it seemed. She hoped it was because he couldn't stand to see what he was doing to Harry, and to James through it, but most likely it was his own shame for his cause in this, always his own feelings first before he'd let himself think of others.

**Harry had no choice but to turn back and face Voldemort as he asked if Harry had ever been taught to duel.**

"I don't think watching Snape blast Lockhart across a room should count," Remus muttered. He'd been trying to come up with an escape plan for Harry since he'd arrived, and dueling his way out was very bottom of the list for the poor kid.

**Harry distantly remembered once attending a dueling club, where the only spell he'd learned was Expelliarmus.**

Harry felt an odd swooping feeling flow through his chest. He'd felt something for that spell the moment he'd first seen it used, and now even his own thoughts trying to mock him for how useless it was didn't quite cover the hope that was trying to bubble in him now, he was certain he'd found his solution.

**What good would that do him, even if he did manage to disarm Voldemort he was outnumbered thirty to one.**

"Thirty?" Sirius yelped in concern. "I'd only counted seven besides Voldemort."

Harry gave him a look of exasperation, the point still stood of how outnumbered he really was. It was that expression he was giving his godfather, 'really, you're pointing that out now?', that somehow managed to convince Sirius to smile back. He could see that Harry was still only just below panicking levels of the situation he remembered being in, but for just a moment he'd turned and talked to him like this was all normal, something they all needed.

**He had never learned anything that could possibly fit him for this.**

"I don't think anybody's actually trained for that situation," Remus agreed, "Dumbledore himself would feel a little trapped."

"You really are something not to just be on the ground begging for your life," James agreed without a hint of mocking.

**He knew he was facing the thing against which Moody had always warned,**

Harry said Moody's name a bit odd, certainly not in the normal way he had before this, but even he didn't seem to notice he'd done it, and it was such a small thing nobody paid much mind.

**Avada Kedavra, and more unprotected than the first time where his mother had died to protect him from it.**

Lily honestly wished that would quit being mentioned so much, for no matter how true it was she'd do the same every time, it hurt all the more she never could again.

**Voldemort took it upon himself to tell Harry what to do, saying first they were to bow to each other.**

"I hate formalities," Sirius sneered, "no one ever actually bothers with that kind of mess when your life's on the line."

**Dumbledore would want him to show his manners.**

"I don't give a damn what Dumbledore would want," James seethed, "he needs to stop talking to you like this."

Since Harry wished Voldemort would stop talking to him period, he agreed.

**Harry was told to bow to his death.**

Despite the monster trying to claw its way out of Harry's chest, screaming for him to run away from this, there was also a surreal moment tucked in there where Harry realized he wasn't dead, hadn't died this night. Instead he got something infinitely better for his night of misery.

**Voldemort smiled at him then, like a cat playing with its dinner, but Harry refused to move. He was not going to let Voldemort taunt him into this before he died.**

James didn't care if it went without saying, he never grew tired of telling his son he was proud of the way he was taking this, and the small smile he received in that moment never dimmed no matter how many times he saw it.

**Voldemort wasn't having that, his wand appearing and an invisible force bending Harry's spine into the mockery of submission, while the Death Eaters around him laughed all the harder.**

Remus was remise that he had no clue what spell that was, as he'd have loved to do the same thing to Voldemort as just the start of the retribution he'd get for doing this to Harry.

Sirius was just pleased Harry had stopped taking note of every little thing that rat had been doing. He wasn't sure what would have hurt more, to know he was laughing along, or to see him simply standing there, watching and doing nothing.

**Voldemort released him and Harry immediately straightened back upright, and Voldemort gave a cruel grin again as he praised this, saying how Harry was going to die proud, straight-backed like his father.**

James watched his two friends shake automatically as that was mentioned again, and he couldn't blame them, he knew he'd have felt the same way if that was constantly brought up about one of them. He wanted to say something, offer up some word as a promise to his brothers, but the words failed him as he replayed that last moment again in his head, what he'd died trying to protect. Somehow, he still couldn't hate the way his life ended, even if it was leaving those behind.

**Done with his fun, Voldemort raised his wand and began the duel, by again hitting Harry with Curcio.**

Harry's voice wasn't coming out in any way normal as flashes of remembered pain from that curse came pouring back over him, but he forced himself to press through that, because there was something more precious to him that happened this night, and it was another kind of pain, but almost a good kind.

**Harry's scream of misery couldn't define the pain his body was in, falling to the floor again and writhing in place, when it stopped as suddenly as it had started.**

James was now convinced his life was going to end any moment now the longer he had to listen to that curse being placed on his son, the thought of what had happened to Frank and Alice now weighing on him worse than ever. He could not just sit here and picture this being done without doing something!

**Harry rolled back to his feet at once, but it was in no way intimidating, as he stood trembling as much as Wormtail had before his hand had been replaced.**

James hadn't meant for that something to snap at Harry, "Don't you ever compare yourself to that thing!"

"What can I say, the memory sort of stuck with me," Harry muttered back without looking up.

**Voldemort crooned to him if he wanted a break, asking if Harry wanted some breathing room before that was done to him again. Those pitiless red eyes watched his progress, death promising in the slits.**

Harry was now more glad than ever he was the one getting this out, distorted words they were in his own voice from remembered pain, as a solemn reminder to those around him that at least that one thing hadn't been true that night.

**Harry knew what he really wanted, to see him beg, which was not going to happen.**

Considering Lily had mostly been in a state of the worst anger of her life with the situation Harry was in, she didn't think she'd told him enough how proud she was of her young man, and the answering gleam she saw in her own eyes imaged into his face was the best feeling in the world.

**Voldemort grew impatient when he didn't get his wish, demanding Harry answer him, and using the Imperius Curse.**

Remus wasn't sure if that was full blown hysteria trying to crack through as he felt his lips twist in a smile, for the irony of their griping about Moody putting this curse on Harry for the good it could do, and look how right that mad old Auror was.

**Harry felt, for the third time in his life,**

"Only the third time?" Sirius was sure that was his ears cracking, not his voice as he forced out anything like a mocking tone for this. "Moody placed that on you a ton more times to make sure you threw it off completely. You never even gave us that number."

Harry gave an unhelpful answer of muttering about how his mind hadn't exactly been going for specifics at a time like this, not wanting to put Sirius down when he'd been trying to help. It wasn't assisting his own mind that recently every time Moody's name had been mentioned he felt an even sharper poke to his conscious, which had been paining him more and more since he'd arrived here.

**as everything melted away, leaving him the happiest he'd been in his life as all the worry and pain evaporated, all he had to do was answer no.**

**A firm voice snapped right back, that still wasn't happening. He wouldn't answer!**

Even though James had already watched Harry pull this off once, this ranked right up there with his Seeker skills of impressive abilities. Moody in a classroom was one thing, not that he'd expect the man to go easy but still. This was Voldemort behind that curse, and Harry was still fighting back!

**The battle didn't last long, before Harry threw the curse off altogether.**

**Silence rung in the graveyard, no one was laughing now.**

"You show those pushovers what it's really like to stand up to that pompous idiot," Sirius nodded sharply.

**Voldemort stood there for a long beat in surprise, his Death Eater's as frozen in shock.**

"I'm sure they're all wondering why they never bothered to grow a spine and do that," Remus muttered.

**Voldemort whispered to Harry that in not answering, he was disobeying. Obedience was a virtue that every man should learn before death, and Voldemort offered more pain should teach that lesson.**

"Well now he's just being a hypocrite," James forced an eye roll, forced just one small second of a joke. "I'm sure Dumbledore's told him to stand down and he's never done it."

"Right, don't do what Voldemort does, I'll keep that in mind," Harry genuinely grinned at him.

**Voldemort raised his wand again, but this time Harry was ready as his honed Quidditch skills flung him aside behind a gravestone, the crack of the spell missing sending shards everywhere.**

"There's my boy," James whispered to himself, the image of Harry flying proud in the sky was one he'd envisioned since he'd first held his son, now instead of a broomstick those reflexes were being used to save his life.

**Voldemort mockingly called to him this was not hide-and-seek as he continued approaching,**

Harry felt himself flushing as he got that out, and it wasn't hard to realize that Harry felt ashamed of what he was now telling them he'd done. James wasn't going to stand for that, giving Harry a friendly nudge as he promised, "no one on earth could fault you for trying to catch your breath Fleetfoot."

Harry did look around at him in surprise for that, and James shrugged without remorse. "I found I'm partial to that for your Marauder nickname, covers all the bases really."

Harry's face stayed red, but for a completely different reason as he turned back to the book, more pleased than he'd ever been in his life for his dad actually insisting upon this as more than a joke, especially after another nickname he'd once endowed kept stabbing him in every way possible.

**his soft voice calling for Harry to come back out, he'd end this game now. Voldemort could not promise it wouldn't hurt, he had never died.**

"I'm pretty sure during the time where you didn't have a body, you were some classification of dead," Remus grumbled.

"Wish he'd stayed that way," Sirius quietly agreed.

**Harry only remained crouched where he was for a few beats more as reason came back to him. He was no more going to sit here cowering than beg for his life. His muscles were already springing to his command, prepared to die upright like his father.**

"I'd rather you not die at all," Lily murmured to herself, but aloud for her son's ears, "least you really did get the best parts of your father."

"There aren't any bad parts of me for him to get," James forced out just to simply pitch his voice into the conversation, he couldn't stand watching Sirius and Remus' face when they heard that any more than it felt right for his own ears to process.

**Harry was back around before the next taunt could be given, shooting the spell for his foe, Expelliarmus,**

"That's really the spell you went with?" Sirius shook his head affectionately, his long hair falling into his face to avoid his too wet eyes.

"Can't even fault him for it," Remus sighed, his voice coming out a bit too thick which no one blatantly noticed. "What better way to get out of this than to disarm the lot of them."

**at the same time Voldemort cried Avada Kedavra.**

"Not my son you bastard!" Lily howled in outrage, her wand the only thing steady in her as every part of her was telling her to block that curse from being near her baby.

**Green met red in midair, but then the two colors merged into one, and Harry's wand began vibrating in his hand that he could not unclench.**

"Err, that's not supposed to happen," Remus muttered uselessly. When two spells met in midair, they ricochet off each other, so one should have hopefully killed a Death Eater, preferably a pathetic rat among them, and the other should have disarmed one while Harry tried to break out of the ranks.

**The color was now one thin narrow beam keeping the two wands connected, a deep gold.**

One glance up showed Harry that no one around him had any more clear idea of what was going on than he had at the time, but whatever it was, this was the moment he'd been waiting for. Once Cedric had died, he'd shut down and hadn't been able to think of anything else until Voldemort had cut him free, where the very feeling he'd felt had now been trying to rise to the surface. Harry leaned just that little bit more into his parents, for some unearthly reason, almost excited to continue.

**Voldemort's unpigmented face showed just as much shock, his own hand clearly trying to break this connection but having no more success, and then it got stranger.**

**The two were lifted off their feet by seemingly nothing, and carried away from the graves into a clear area before gently being set back down.**

Sirius was mouthing wordlessly as he tried to wrap his head around this, tried to even vaguely pull a piece of information from his deflating brain on what could be happening, but there wasn't a speck.

**The Death Eaters ran after them, shouting for instructions on what to do, most drawing wands.**

Lily may not know what was happening, but she suddenly wasn't as sure she liked it. At first it had seemed some cosmic force was actively trying to save her son, taking him away from that unholy place, but now locked like he was, he had no way to defend himself from the other wands that could just as easily kill.

**The deep ichor color keeping them connected was continuing to act all on its own, thin cords shooting from it and soon encasing them in a dome that the Death Eaters cries could not come through.**

James wished he had a clue what was being done to his son, but so long as it actually seemed to be helping him he couldn't find the urge to complain about it. Was this odd, never before heard of magic the way his son survived this night? If so, he'd go out and learn it right now.

**Instead all Harry could now hear was a noise he'd only heard once before, but something precious to him that filled him with warmth, phoenix song.**

"Is, Fawkes going to show back up, or-" Remus struggled to get out a coherent thought, but that didn't make sense. Harry hadn't done anything grand like he had before to summon Fawkes to him, though now he thought about it that would have been a good idea to get the bird to try and summon him away. Not the point, and no one had an answer for him, Harry had only paused in shock before gathering himself back enough to keep going.

**It was the sound of hope, and it gave Harry new resolve to do everything in him not to break this connection.**

Lily was running her hand through his hair for as much comforting him through what he was reading as a warming to herself to remind her where her baby was. This still wasn't a particularly good thing happening, but finally it was a new moment, something shining down promising hope was coming.

**The moment he promised the music he'd do no such thing, the harder it became to do.**

Sirius longed for a time where he could have been hearing about this and laughing, Harry talking to music, and then of course what he'd just described felt like it described life. All he was really thinking on though was how much he desperately wished he was there with his pup, when he needed someone now more than ever.

**His strip of wood was now vibrating so hard in his hand it was a wonder it hadn't disintegrated yet, and still something new was happening. Beads of light were appearing in the center of their merged stream, and they were slowly heading towards Harry's wand. The closer they got, the harder his whole arm shook.**

Because this wasn't confusing and weird enough before. They'd all worn out of shock by now, so instead they were trying to comprehend what purpose this could hold, how and why this was happening to their Harry.

**Some instinct, whether the song or some innate feeling, told Harry that what he needed was for the opposite, so concentrating harder than he ever had on anything in his life, his mind focused on those little beads, and slowly but surely, they began reversing course, and were now going for Voldemort's wand.**

Now Harry could feel his own voice rising with strength, some powerful moment about to return to him, almost a peace settling over him as something of the warmth he was surrounded in now was leaping eagerly to return to his mind.

**Voldemort looked almost as astonished as he did fearful.**

"Congratulations Harry, not many people can say they made Voldemort piss himself moments after his rebirth," Sirius murmured.

**It happened after such a tiring mental struggle Harry nearly sunk to the ground again in a new kind of pain, but finally the beads connected with that strip of wood, and Voldemort's wand began trembling harder than ever as screams of pain echoed from its contents, and a smoky fist arose from within, the ghostly image of the hand he'd created for Wormtail.**

Remus choked as he realized what was being described, yet Prior Incantato certainly didn't have this magical property normally, so even just guessing that this could be a form of what was happening didn't help him at all.

**The wand wasn't done yet, as the next thing to arise was even bigger, more solid and dense as first a gray, misty head, then a torso emerged, before finally Cedric Diggory stood before them.**

Lily felt a whole new swell of emotion blooming in her as she heard of that poor young man who'd been simply tossed aside, and now making an appearance like this. His whole future ahead of him, gone, but now what was this? Good or bad?

**Cedric took in the scene around him, and Harry couldn't quite tell what he was, not entirely a ghost as he looked too solid, but it spoke to him in his same voice, telling Harry to hold on.**

Harry couldn't imagine how anyone else was processing this, he certainly was having a hard time getting past his own wonder. For just that one moment, Cedric was back, he was alive and hadn't suffered for Harry's existence. His throat almost swelled shut right then, as for a moment he thought this was his reward for suffering this night, Cedric being spared just a few more moments of life, but no. There was something soft resonating in him, gently encouraging him on.

**Voldemort had no more knowledge of what was going on than him, fear tracing his scarlet eyes as he looked upon the being.**

Remus would have been far more concerned if Voldemort had understood what was going on, as that couldn't mean it was anything good. Instead, he couldn't explain even to himself, but he was almost eagerly listening to Harry, his every being exuding that they should all be feeling this way.

**Still the magic was continuing, as another was already forcing itself out as well, an older man who emerged just like Cedric and stood beside him, leaning on a walking stick as he took them both in. His first thought as he caught sight of Voldemort was to say his surprise of how he had been a real wizard.**

James was surprised when he felt an honest smile flit across his face, that old man really had been something in his last moments, and like Cedric, it felt like a miracle he was being granted any extra time, no matter how mind blowing this feat of magic was.

**He turned eyes on Harry next and gave the same advice, to keep fighting and don't stop. Though Harry had no intentions of doing so as yet another figure was coming out, and soon Bertha Jorkins stood among them.**

Sirius was surprised at the burn that ran through him. He knew so many people from his school years set to die, and even just a random girl he'd never even liked being presented in this way still managed to set him off.

**Her conviction was the same as the men, insisting to Harry that whatever he did, not to let go!**

James shook his head for a moment as he considered, really stopped and thought, about what was going on. Harry was getting encouragement from a ghost against Voldemort!

**The three figures began prowling their circumference of the golden enclosure, in opposition to the Death Eaters doing the same on the outside. They would whisper more encouragement to Harry as they passed, and hiss something unheard to Voldemort when near him.**

"I can guarantee they weren't nice," Lily sneered.

Harry took a moment to stop, and just stare at her with a new smile they'd never seen before, and it was that look that suddenly had Sirius realizing just what exactly order these magical ghosts were appearing in, and why Harry could conceivably be happy for any of this...

**Now more than ever Harry had no desire to make this stop, as he watched another coming through the wand, the woman he'd thought about more tonight than any other. Lily Potter materialized before him.**

Lily and James were crying, and not even bothering to hide it. They didn't see the point as they now understood what Harry was seeing for the first time in his life, their echo, their shadows, but it was still more of them than even that mirror or any picture could hold.

**She whispered to him his father was coming,**

Harry felt something warm curling tight in his heart and promising to never leave as he heard his mother's first words. He had never considered his dementor memory as counting, as his parents last dying words were more heart aching to think of than something like this.

**just hold on a little longer.**

**Her words rang true, as the final man to image, James Potter blossomed between them.**

"I knew it," Harry whispered, unable to express into words how much it meant to him he was really seeing them now, as before he'd come here this was as close as he'd ever get to them.

**There was hardly an inches height difference, their features so similar it ached as James looked him in the eye, and explained that once the connection broke, they would only linger for a moment. Harry had to use that time to get back to the Portkey, it would get him back to Hogwarts.**

It really did feel like this was zapping the life out of Remus to hear about, because thinking about James as anything other than the Prongs huddled into his family right now, alive and breathing through a heavy chest but still as solid and alive as he'd always been. Still Remus' first response was to poke at his friend's comment, just like he always did to keep him on track, and ask what on earth that Cup was going to do, why would it be set as a two way Portkey? He couldn't get the words to actually move past his lips, it was too heart wrenching to even consider James in this way to move past it and say anything else.

**Harry promised he understood, his own wand beginning to slip out of his fingers regardless to show he couldn't have held much longer.**

Harry almost hated his wand in that moment, for forcing him to think of anything else other than drinking in as much of them as he could. It was enough to drown out another powerful feeling trying to remind him that though this was the most precious memory he had, it may not be the only one like it.

**Cedric got in his final words as well, asking Harry to take his body back with him.**

Harry wished that he could instead be living in a time where he could brush that off as a joke, like he'd ever leave any part of Cedric behind for the Death Eater's to do anything with, instead this came out as solemnly as his parents first words to him.

**Harry swore he'd do this, and his father's voice urged him to break the connection, now!**

**Harry obeyed, with the hardest pull he'd ever had to do in his life the wands broke free, and Harry spun on the spot and ran like he never had before. The shadowy figures remained for a few moments longer, swarming Voldemort and blocking Harry from view.**

Sirius made a wretched noise, rubbing at his streaming nose as he tried to get out, "see, not even your own graves could stop you helping him out." He'd meant it for James, and there was most certainly was some form of happiness resonating in him for that being true.

Lily hummed in agreement, her hands never stopping the motion of curling through his hair. Her throat to restricted to get out anything more articulate until he was really away from that place.

**Harry broke through the stunned rank of Death Eaters, took no notice of any of his injuries as his feet flew over gravestones and zigzagged a pattern around any oncoming spells.**

**From behind, Voldemort demand he be stunned.**

Harry could practically feel the mad adrenaline pumping through his veins again, his mind sprinting as fast as he'd forced his ungainly feet to move, and the others were so tight and desperate for Harry to be free now none of them would have questioned why Voldemort hadn't bothered to send that curse rather than telling someone else. Could it be because he longer trusted his own wand to do the deed? There was something significant in that train of thought, but Harry wanted to be done with his chapter already, so that he could set this book aside and really hug his parents again in gratitude for what they'd done for him even one more time.

**He made it to Cedric's body, but the Cup still lay ten feet away. Harry couldn't carry Cedric, but his pursuers approach would be upon him in moments. Harry twisted on the spot and met the red eyes of Voldemort one last time as he cried Accio, summoning the Triwizard Cup to him.**

James felt a wild gasp of relief finally escape him, watching Harry finish off the last few lines with gratitude so he could just stop, and think for a minute!

**The silver cup was caught in his hand, and Voldemort's scream of fury was drowned out with the howl of wind carrying him away.**

Harry snapped the book shut hard, and then proceeded to hug both of his parents to him as tightly as he'd ever been able to in his life.

James still hadn't even begun to fully process everything he'd just heard about the night of Voldemort's return, he was still too busy clinging to his only child and his wife to think past much of anything except for the fact that he never wanted to let go of either of them. That night could have so easily gone wrong, Harry could have never been here now, but instead would have remained like Cedric, dead and lost to the rest of the world forever. Whatever that magic was that had saved him, somehow his miracle had been granted, and he had finally been able to do just one thing for Harry, even beyond the grave. Later he could question how his ghost or whatever had even known the way to get back, later he would think about how that had all come to pass, later...

* * *

Special treat week is done. This was your weekend update, so the next one won't come up until Wednesday, and I can actually go to bed at a decent hour for a change.


	36. VERITASERUM

To Subtle: Yes, yes it was, I'm glad you caught that, the name you used precedes you. As you can tell I've never once tried to call her that, nor will I ever. I'm not even sure how other people pronounce it, or why they do it at all.

To Guest: I love the idea you presented, but while you started on a very unique idea that I am going to love bringing up in the last chapter, the way you tried to end it isn't entirely accurate. I'll make sure to mention that you started this idea so you can see the full explanation.

* * *

Harry startled back into this living room as he heard a whispered conversation in two other ghost voices. He'd been remembering those spectrals so clearly because of this last chapter, that hearing Sirius and Remus speak without some sort of echo like the others startled him out of the warmth that was his actual living parents embracing him, and blinking around in startled confusion, some little blip going off in his brain saying their voices shouldn't have even come out of that spell- He hissed and blinked, going cross eyed as he stared at his very alive godfather and his seatmate, who was now watching him with even more concern than before, but he quickly let go of the moment even he didn't understand, not wanting to break away from his parents attention for any longer than he could. He looked back at them to see his Mum crying softly, still trying to flatten his hair with her gentle nails, while his dad was more still and silent than Harry had yet seen him, and he didn't need to know him long to know that wasn't a good thing. He tried in vain to babble out something, "I, thank you doesn't really cover it, but I don't know what to say, I'm sorry I never-"

Lily gently shushed him, never stopping her comforting motion. "It's all we've wanted since we found out what would happen to us, to be of help to you just for one moment, now we have. Don't ruin it with silly little things like that, we know."

James had to struggle a bit more to get out anything coherent, "if that's all the time you ever get got to spend with us before now, than I can't say it wasn't well used."

Sirius muttered something, his natural rebellion forcing the words out of how he still planned on this never being the case, not so long as he lived, but James must not have heard him right as he said, "we can keep going, I know this can't be much more fun for you two to be watching."

Remus was quick to wave his hands in protest, saying, "Wha-, oh no. We, erm, were trying to slip away actually, just leave the rest for tomorrow. I know I can't handle anything worse than that tonight."

Lily rubbed furiously at her streaming eyes, but said in a steady enough voice, "don't be ridiculous, it's hardly even late enough for dinner." Food was honestly the last thing on anyone's mind, but the patient and also fast pace of cooking always did help her, but sadly she couldn't even claim that distraction yet. "Stewing on this all night will help nothing, and no offense love," she gave Harry's ear a little tweak, "but I'm quite done with your fourth year, I'd like to see it be over already."

Harry had to clear his throat to agree, failed anyways, and just nodded.

"Besides," James got out in a much stronger voice this time, "it's not going to look any better in morning light, Harry's still going to go back to the castle and have to recant everything." His eyes lingered on Sirius in the worst way, he couldn't imagine how his best friend was going to react to the news of his ghost, but if they heard that sooner rather than later, at least James wouldn't have all night to dwell on what his best friends reaction was going to be. He was still fearing Sirius would do something far worse than be framed for a killing spree when Sirius realized how involved that rat had been in all of this. "Plus, I know I'm not going to be able to think of much else until I know the blackered who got Harry into this mess in the first place, and now we know he's at Hogwarts. With any luck Dumbeldore'll figure it out, somehow." He finished with more optimism than he felt, he was just trying to find something happy to linger on even as he insisted they continue with bad.

Remus didn't really agree, he thought the three of them were trying to put up too much of a strong front for the two of them, but he wasn't going to argue anymore either. Sometimes you just needed a good cry, but if the thought would linger in them that everyone else would know about it, none of them would indulge. Best to get this bloody book over with and then let them have the rest of their night alone. So Remus scooped up the discarded book, and began heavily.

**Harry slammed back into the grass, and moved no more. The cool handle of the Cup in one hand, Cedric's body still clenched in the other, all he could concentrate on was not letting go of either one, lest he slip away forever.**

Lily would later regret letting her nails dig into Harry so hard, but for now she felt the same way as he had then. If she let go of her hold on him, for even an instant, he'd be torn away from her now when he needed her most. They didn't even have confirmation yet he was back safe at school. How did that...ghost of her husband (even thinking it nearly set her into tears again) know this would get Harry back safe?

**In the throes of the shock, exhaustion, and suspension of waiting for something else to change, all the while his scar continued to burn.**

James felt himself tucking closer into Harry all the time, knowing he wouldn't feel safe and at ease with any of this again until his son was back around Sirius for starters. Every jealous moment he'd had over the past few days felt all the more ridiculous to him now, when he was instead all the more grateful someone was still out there that he could trust.

**Sound was encroaching his ears, first cautious footsteps, then murmurs of fear, which grew quickly into screams. Still Harry couldn't move, inhaling the grass and waiting for a nightmare to end.**

Harry shivered while still safe in his parents hold, the echo of that noise from the second task coming back to him clearer than ever. He knew it wouldn't have helped at all to remember sooner, Cedric's death would still be eating away at him and no amount of warning could have softened the blow.

**The first to reach through him was Dumbledore, flipping him towards the stars to meet those blue eyes.**

Remus finally felt some relief bleeding back into his voice, brushing out the tense and still clogged words from before. Dumbledore was there, everything had to be alright now.

**His silvery beard swam in and out of focus for a moment before Harry collected himself, whispering that Voldemort was back.**

Sirius felt a low whine in his throat, what he wouldn't give for that not to be true. He'd take hearing about Azkaban and that basilisk all over again, because at least that stuff felt manageable in the aftermath. This! They were still trying to figure out how to get rid of Voldemort the first time, now they had to do it all over again, with Harry in the center!

**Dumbledore had not a second to react, Fudge was there and hissing at Dumbledore that the Diggory parents were pushing through the crowd, they should be warned before they saw their son's body. Dumbledore tried to break Harry's hold on him, but Harry refused, insisting he had to get him back to his parents.**

Lily was still shivering non stop beside him. Her baby wasn't even a year old yet, she'd spent these first few months of his life in bliss as she nurtured him, she didn't even want to imagine it coming to an end before her's, let alone what the Diggory's were about to witness.

 **Dumbledore** **murmured words of comfort, that Harry had done just that as he pulled the two apart, then helped Harry to his feet. His injured leg barely held him in all the jostling going on around him, the cries of the night still drowning out most noise of how Diggory was dead.**

James was getting jittery as he tried to convince his fingers to loosen their hold on Harry even a bit, but it wasn't working because all he wanted to do was pull his son away from that watchful crowd, get him somewhere safe so that he could just think for a moment instead of being yet another spectacle in everyone else's life.

**Fudge was being insistent, he and Dumbledore had to go meet the Diggory's before they could get over here and see this for themselves, and Dumbledore agreed while telling Harry to stay right where he was. Harry could hardly process a word, everything was flickering around him.**

Sirius' mind had desperately been flicking around to anyone who could possibly be trying to come forward, to help Harry right now, his usless arse couldn't be because he was still up in those mountains being a waste of space. Instead he was left wondering where Molly was, but that would only hurt more when the mother who shouldn't be arrived. In fact Sirius wouldn't be much help either. No, the two Harry needed were beyond a grave still.

**He felt more than heard someone trying to lead him away, muttering about the hospital wing while referring to him as son.**

James was worried he was going to snap bones soon. Either his own hands from clenching his fist too hard, or this unseen persons who was both referring to _his_ son that way at this moment, and actually trying to do what James knew he should be doing.

**Harry tried to resist, saying Dumbledore had told him not to move, but he was so unfocused with his blurry vision it wasn't possible not to follow along.**

"Dumbledore can come see you when you're in the hospital wing love," Lily murmured gently into his ear, "this person's got the right idea, you need to be looked over."

Harry though shook his head, he still knew this wasn't a good thing.

**The person was being persistent, and Harry was taken from that crowd and those screams, towards the castle, and only when he heard the distinct clunk clunk of the peg leg traveling through the stone corridors inside did Harry register Mad-Eye Moody.**

Harry watched those around him relax even more at the news, the only one they would have hand picked better was McGonagall.

While Harry was starting to feel nauseous all over again, wishing he had fought his way free of Moody, to run and call for help. This was bad, why was he the only one thinking this?

**Upon Moody's prompting, Harry tried to explain what had happened, how the Cup had been a Portkey to take him and Cedric to that graveyard,**

Harry still felt every part of him clench up at that word.

**and Voldemort had been there, Lord Voldemort.**

"I'm sure there aren't enough Voldemort's around the self proclaimed title needed to be distinguished," Remus muttered under his breath before he could stop himself.

Sirius caught his eye and gave him a grin for the remark, they'd all be needing a sense of humor back eventually just to get through this.

**Moody prompted further about the Dark Lord,**

James cocked his head to the side, finding it odd Moody would refer to him like that, he'd only heard Death Eater's do the same. Normally Moody just referred to him as You-Know-Who like everyone else.

**and Harry whispered how they'd killed Cedric.**

Remus wasn't sure why Harry said they, instead of he, but he was grateful all the same, knowing he could not get out that curse of a name without biting his own tongue off in that moment, not while seeing what it did to Harry.

**The repetitive clunking noise of every other of Moody's steps was the only noise except Harry telling how the Dark Lord had returned, the Death Eaters had come, and then they'd dueled.**

"And kicked his scaly but," Sirius agreed in a too high pitched voice, but the eerie silence as Remus got this retelling out was starting to make him nervous. He was rewarded by at least Harry meeting his eyes fleetingly and giving a soft smile, which didn't last as his face at once went back into closed off and in pain. That was usually the look he adopted when something bad was fixing to happen to him, but what else could be worse!?

**He finished by whispering how his wand had done something odd, and he'd seen his parents...**

Harry's bad feeling of whatever was fixing to go on around Moody most likely would have spilled over into a full blown migraine by now if he wasn't still half focused on that, wishing he could be telling his parents all of this instead of merely thinking of them from beyond.

**Harry was temporarily cut off as he was finally led inside a room, told everything was going to be alright as he drank something.**

Harry was still very sure though that alright was not the word he'd use for whatever was fixing to happen to him...

**There was a scrape of a key in a lock before Moody was back, helping the cup into his hand as Moody prompted for exactly what had happened.**

"Can't Moody bleeding wait," James sneered, he was already in a torrent of other moods, and Moody was pushing in a new one. "He's going to have to relive this for Dumbledore again as is."

"I doubt Dumbledore will let Harry get away with these meager details," Sirius agreed with a heavy scowl. "He'll want to hear everything, and not from Moody. He's not doing him any help with this."

Harry had to swallow hard to fight back saying that Moody wasn't intending to help anyone in that castle, least of all Dumbledore.

**Harry's throat seared as the liquid went down, but he could finally focus properly on his surroundings again, most notably the old Auror staring hungrily into Harry's face as he prompted Voldemort being back, asking how it had been done.**

"Whoa," Lily yelped, "he really called him Voldemort that time?"

"He did indeed," Remus agreed, watching the page curiously like he expected the print to change before convincing his eyes to move on.

**Harry whispered the three ingredients.**

In order to not rip this book in half and burn every page as kindling for that horrific sentence existing, Remus instead forced his mind to picture something different, the opposite of that foul little trader. He thought about little baby Harry, honestly having missed his company lately as just a small spot of life during this, and how peaceful he always looked sleeping against his father's chest.

**Now that his eyes were working again, he began looking at his surroundings, and found himself in Moody's office.**

"Office?" Lily demanded, she was the one trying her hardest to move past that rat having been mentioned again. "I thought he was taking you to the Hospital Wing?"

Remus sighed as he reread that himself, indeed wanting to give Moody a piece of his mind now. Was getting all of this out of him really more important than Harry getting checked over? For that matter, while Lily and James did want to see him under the matrons care, it was still rubbing Remus the wrong way Harry had been removed from Dumbledore's eyesight to begin with. Moody should have followed Dumbledore's orders, which had been clear in Harry staying right where he was. Why was this starting to make him feel so uneasy?

**The echoes of the screams from the Quidditch pitch could still be heard from the window.**

**Moody kept his attention by asking what exactly had been taken from Harry, and he explained his blood, glancing down at his torn sleeve where Wormtail's dagger had struck.**

James hadn't been aware that knife stabbing him in the back even since he'd learned about his involvement could hurt any less, but what he'd done to Harry trumped it, and that was all the worse.

**Moody had a twisted look on his already disproportionate features as he insisted Harry continue, asking about the Death Eaters, asking if he forgave them?**

"Is that really a priority?" Lily demanded, her brows shooting up furiously the longer this carried on. What was Moody thinking, doing this to Harry now?

**Something else in Harry's mind flicked then, realizing this should have been the first thing he told Dumbledore! There was a Death Eater at Hogwarts!**

"While the first thing you told him was a bit more of a priority," James shook his head, "I agree that should have been second on the list, but I'll excuse you for your lapse. You're telling Moody now, that's what's important since you've been through a bit." His face twitched, that didn't nearly cover what Harry had been through and it felt terrible to downplay it for even a second, but Harry caught his eye and smiled at him all the same.

**Moody waved that off, saying he knew who the Death Eater was.**

Remus blanched a bit as he got that out, that wasn't exactly encouraging that Moody claimed to have known this all along and had done nothing to stop it.

James nearly went on a rampage right there, he was already past his end today, and now to find out Moody had known all of this and hadn't even warned Harry! Or he had warned Dumbledore who hadn't warned Harry! Either way, Moody's whole head was coming off when this mess was done!

**Harry's first guess was Karkaroff,**

"Why did you blame Karkaroff before Snape?" Sirius demanded. Harry was honestly surprised not to see blood swimming in his eyes, his voice was filled with enough of it.

"I'd hated Snape longer, but you'd given me more reason to distrust Karkaroff this year," Harry reminded.

**but Moody gave an odd laugh, telling how Karkaroff had fled the moment he felt his Dark Mark burn. He wasn't expecting a welcome return, with all he'd put in Azkaban. He wouldn't stay gone long though, the Dark Lord had ways of tracking his enemies.**

Remus wasn't sure how he felt about that news. Pleased enough that Karkaroff had fled because he feared his cowardly choices, but in a twisted disappointed way as well he wouldn't get to hear about him going back to Azkaban at least any time soon.

**Harry didn't understand, if he'd left, then who'd put his name in the goblet?**

"Why would you draw that conclusion?" Lily asked. "I can easily picturing him making a run for it after his job was done of getting you there."

Harry had to concentrate on her words in the here and now to explain, "the way Voldemort mentioned his faithful servant at school, I just thought that he wouldn't be such a coward as turning tail the moment his mark burned like that."

**Moody stared at Harry for a long time before whispering it had been he who had done that.**

A moment ago, Remus had been convinced there wasn't anything else this book could do to him that would be harder to process than hearing about James and Lily having to help Harry escape Voldemort as ghosts. Why did he keep getting proved wrong?

"I-you-what now?" Sirius leaned over and glared at the little print like he was expecting Moony to have played some dumb joke.

Harry should have felt too exhausted mentally and physically after the turmoil of Voldemort's return had all come back, but he had no say as the feeling slammed back into him full force, one he was all too familiar with now. The pain of an important returning memory, how his breaths began hitching and he groaned, "he's not lying, he's not joking, but-" he cut himself off with a noise of utter frustration before he could go too far and keep hurting himself more.

James first instinct was to argue, to tell Harry that he'd misheard Alastor Moody claiming to have been any part of this, but James quickly shoved that part of him back down because he knew he'd always believe Harry first. If his son was actually remembering that somehow, someway the acclaimed Auror had gone Death Eater, James would just have to find some way to wrap his head around this as surely as he had done for Peter, because how could Harry be so wrong about something like that. James quickly waved a stunned Remus on, because in spite of the fact none of them could think this for even a moment of yet another Order member, let alone this one, Harry was in pain, and the only way to make that better was to hear the details why.

**Harry heard, but did not understand. He tried to protest, but Moody assured it had all been him. His normal eye was fixated on Harry, as well as his wand, while his magical one still lingered on the door.**

Harry could feel his brain thudding against his skull in pain and confusion. His eyes hadn't been deceiving him, Mad-Eye Moody was aiming a wand in his face for the express purpose of causing him harm, to kill him...but not! This was by far the most confusing moment he'd ever been faced with yet, because everything in him had been trying to warn him something was bad about this, and yet at the same time he wanted to scoff and say there wasn't a better Auror. His skull felt likely to split in two all over again at such conflicts.

**Moody was still focused on the Death Eaters, demanding to know if they'd really been forgiven? Those that had escaped Azkaban?**

"Least I can vaguely see why Moody would be pissed about that," Remus muttered, just trying to find one little bit of anything he could wrap his head around, all the while as tense as a board at having to hear about a teacher attacking Harry for the fourth bleeding year in a row!

**Harry couldn't do anything but gape now, sure this was all a bad joke.**

"No, Vernon's Japanese Golfer Joke is a bad joke, this is-" Sirius was rubbing the heel of his hand into his forehead in frustration for lack of words for that _this_ was.

No one could deny Harry that claim though, they were all still wishing this was somehow a bad joke, that Snape was hiding in the corner and using the Imperius Curse on Moody to make him say all of this, anything seemed more plausible than what they were hearing.

**Moody repeated his question, demanding if Voldemort had really forgiven those scum had been forgiven when they'd run from his Dark Mark in the sky.**

Harry was more confused than ever, because he was as confident it hadn't been Moody to do such a thing as he had been about Winky...but somehow this still felt like the truth as it settled back inside of him...he was starting to tremble all over again at all of these conflictions.

**Harry was still trying to feebly protest all of this, while Moody barked that he'd told Harry so. He couldn't stand a free Death Eater, those who had turned their backs on his master when he'd needed them.**

Lily had thought Peter referring to Voldemort as his master had hit her limits of unbelievable, but if there was one person she never would have thought it any more capable of calling Voldemort master, it was Alastor!

**He all but begged Harry to tell how they'd been punished, his face now alight with insanity.**

"That about covers this situation, insane," James was nodding his head so hard he was likely to snap his own neck, just for some movement that was still familiar and ordinary and not making his world shatter with every new thing Harry was dealing with lately!

**When Harry still refused to believe this, Moody went on a rampage of how all of this had been his hard work! He'd tricked the Goblet of Fire and put Harry's name in under a different school.**

Sirius was getting tired of monologs. First Voldemort, now this gone off the rails hero of the Order, Sirius wasn't going to be able to take much more of all of these people explaining themselves before he lost it and tried shoving his head in the fire, without floo powder, just for some relief from it all.

**He'd frightened away every person who'd stood in the way of Harry's winning.**

"Great, now I'm picturing Moody chasing Malfoy down the hallways to stop him bothering Harry this year," Remus sighed under his breath, well aware there was some hysteria bleeding into even that whispered comment for his even pretending this was normal and something to be made fun of.

**He'd convinced Hagrid to show Harry the dragons, and helped Harry how to get past them!**

Lily was opening and closing her mouth repeatedly like that would somehow make understanding this easier. It wasn't.

**Moody's magical eye had now left the door. It was fixed upon Harry. His lopsided mouth leered more widely than ever.**

At this point Sirius was just trying to work it in his head that this wasn't Moody at all! Maybe he'd lied about receiving that eye injury just so he could have it in this school, and this was an imposter...but no. That didn't explain a damned thing except to try and convince his mind not to melt coming to terms with all this.

**Moody begroaned how hard his task had been guiding Harry through all of this. He'd had to use every last shred of cunning he had not to be found out and make Dumbledore suspicious, as he couldn't let Harry have too easy a time.**

"Well then your plan worked great, since Harry hasn't had an ease of any of them!" James proudly got out with only minimal continued hysterics.

**But so long as Harry had made it to the maze, preferably with a head start, then Moody knew Harry would get there once he got the other champions out of the way. Still, he'd had to deal all year with his stupidity.**

Harry was sure that warmth was the last thing he'd ever be feeling while his life was being threatened by a madman, but there was indeed a slight smile on his face watching the others huff indignantly at calling Harry stupid at a time like this. Considering the circumstances he'd been forced into, they were all beyond impressed at his ability to cope with all of this. Harry's smile didn't linger long enough to erase the pain of his internal body at war trying to understand everything he was hearing coming from Moody's voice, but so wrong in every other way, but for just a moment he was reminded of where he was and it helped.

**The second task had been the worst and he'd had to slip him a hint, using Cedric for that.**

"I really wish I could have sat in on that conversation," Remus sighed, "I just can not imagine how that was worded to make...Mad-Eye innocent of offering help." It felt odd referring to him as that for the first time, but calling him Mad-Eye was somehow different enough from the Moody he knew it made the sentence tolerable.

**He'd known Cedric would return the favor, as decent people were so easy to manipulate.**

Lily felt like she was fixing to snap any moment, still so tensed and stressed from Harry having to be in front of Voldemort this night, now yet again her world view had been kicked to the curb with yet another trusted friend acting like a complete and utter lunatic, and still it all revolved around Harry. Why couldn't he have just been able to go to the Hospital Wing before all this madness around him had to kick in again, just give him five minutes of peace!

**It had been maddening to watch Potter struggle a way through this challenge, when he'd planted the clue from the very beginning, having given Longbottom those books about Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean.**

Harry groaned and let his head flop back against the couch, entirely sick of all those little details he knew he should have been paying attention to getting passed over through his swiss brian. Yet even now he wasn't kicking himself as much as he normally would have, because somehow mentioning Neville was pushing Harry more firmly every minute into believing something wasn't right with this. Something about Neville, and this man...but Moody had never done anything to Neville, of that he was sure...

**Moody had been so sure Potter would be begging everyone for help, and Longbottom could have told him in an instant, but that stupid streak of independence had nearly ruined everything.**

Sirius hummed in agreement with that, but unlike Moody he hardly found it a fault. The Marauders had been the same way, hardly discussing anything outside their group of friends, at least things of such importance as this. Even in the Order, they were reluctant to share at group meetings, preferring to only tell Dumbledore, and Sirius was now quite thankful for that, it was starting to feel like he couldn't trust anyone who wasn't in this room.

**Instead Moody had improvised, remembering Harry mentioned his house-elf friend at the Yule Ball, so he'd summoned Dobby to where he and McGonagall had been speaking about the next task, and wondering if Potter would use gillyweed.**

James nearly broke his glasses he was rubbing so hard at the bridge of his nose in frustration, remembering back and realizing they'd never even questioned that too much, just the natural act of house-elves hearing everything that went on in that school, and now just feeling like a fool for missing yet another thing.

**Moody's wand was still pointed at Harry's heart, while over his shoulder his Foe-Glass was taking shape.**

Remus felt his voice finally pick up just a tiny fraction of hope again. He just couldn't process yet another trusted person from the Order doing this to them, but one thing he could get behind was however the hell Harry had gotten away from this. Any enemy to Moody who was moving around in that Foe-Glass could only be a good thing for Harry, right?

**Moody was still talking about the second task, how long he'd been in the water and nearly ruined everything, but thankfully Dumbledore had marked him high for that nobility and Moody had breathed again.**

"Don't worry, I'll fix that very soon," Sirius snarled under his breath. Moody was going to lose a lot more than an eye and part of a nose when Sirius got his hands on him no matter how much it hurt him to try and figure out what the hell had happened to the famous Auror.

**Then he slid into chatting about the next task, telling Harry he'd had a very easy time in there thanks to him. He'd been using his magical eye to wipe out anything in Harry's way, and he'd Stunned Fleur, while also using the Imperius Curse on Krum to take out Diggory.**

Harry muttered something harshly under his breath about his stupid, useless brain. He'd been right before, wandering around those hedges and thinking how this was too easy, and yet never could he have predicted this.

"How did nobody see him doing that?" Remus snarled, only feeling slightly better they clearly hadn't been the only ones who hadn't seen one tiny bit of this all year.

Sirius quietly reminded Moony of nonverbal spells, it wasn't that hard to picture Moody keeping as out of the way as possible and sneaking all of this in while all attention had been focused on the champions, most likely Harry and Cedric. As for how the spells had gotten through that hedge...well that could be argued about later when they weren't having to hear about this madness.

**Harry couldn't understand how any of this was possible, how Dumbledore's friend the famous Auror could be a Death Eater...**

"Of that we can agree," Lily murmured, running her hand up and down Harry's spine to chase away the goosebumps she could feel there. Harry was clearly in monumental pain from remembering all this, and she couldn't blame him, it was too much of a shock to still be real.

**Instead of having to watch those horrifying mismatched eyes, Harry again glanced at the Foe-Glass, where three shapes were clearly moving now. Moody saw none of this, both eyes still fixated on Harry.**

Remus groaned and muttered something under his breath about how the Moody they knew would never have stood for this. Even flipping around to this twisted version of the Order's backbone shouldn't have caused him to become so careless.

**Moody dragged his attention back by whispering that if the Dark Lord had failed to kill Harry, then he'd have that honor.**

"Well he's never going to, so he can just chalk up that loss right now," James snarled, if there was one thing he could still believe in every time, it was that his son would win this.

**Dreaming to himself the rewards he'd get when his master found out.**

"Actually I imagine he'd be a wee bit pissed," Sirius snapped, "considering he told all his other Death Eater scum not to do the same."

"Here's hoping Harry doesn't have to sit in on that conversation," Remus shuddered, it was vile enough trying to picture that rat hanging around Voldemort, Moody doing so truly was far past unthinkable.

**Moody had done the best of them all, he'd delivered Harry Potter. He'd be treated like a son!**

Harry could feel his head swimming in a detached kind of way...something about a son, it had seemed very important to him he remember something about a son all year...

**Moody continued in this way, whispering about how much he and the Dark Lord had in common, both of their fathers had been so disappointing.**

James could feel the ice permeating his brain making him think a few moments later than he should have that this didn't sound right, Moody had emulated his father in every way- but by the time it registered how odd that sentence was Remus had kept going, and James put it down to one too many curses had driven Moody as insane as apparently the Longbottoms had become.

**Both of them had suffered the indignity, of being named after their fathers.**

Sirius ruffled up his brows, thinking that Moody's dad had been named David,* not Alastor. So unless Moody was simply badgering on about having to share a last name, he really had no idea what that raving bit could mean.

**And both of them had the pleasure of killing said fathers.**

Lily could feel her mouth stretching wide without understanding, but horror. She didn't know much about Moody, but she never could have imagined anyone who wasn't as loony as Voldemort saying that with any kind of pleasure.

**Moody cackled then, raising his wand to strike at last, and while Harry plunged his hand into his robes for his own wand-**

Remus was so tense and uneasy by the end of this he was sure his voice was going to fail from overuse any second. This was just too much back to back madness for all of them to not be considering running from the room any moment now screaming.

**but never got the chance as the door was blasted open using Stupefy.**

James shook his head hard to forcibly rid himself of the image of Moody holding a wand to his son's face like that, and instead just watched that stupid little book desperately so that he could finally hear something good happen.

**The door of Moody's office was blasted apart -**

Lily was more concerned than anything Harry hardly seemed relived his rescue had arrived, he was still watching nothing of this room, his eyes far away and something so clearly wrong with his visage she just knew something else was fixing to happen.

**Moody was thrown into the wall, and Harry watched Dumbledore, Snape,**

Sirius didn't even have enough of himself left to make a snide comment about Snape being there.

**and McGonagall enter.**

**Harry watched his headmaster with a look of awe, for the first time understanding why Voldemort would fear this wizard. He carried an aura Harry had never seen before, a fiery presence that radiated the whole room.**

Remus nodded absently to himself. He'd only seen that expression once himself when Dumbledore had been in combat, and it was something you didn't forget.

**Dumbledore and Snape came towards the other teacher, while McGonagall flitted to Harry's side.**

Lily forced herself, muscle by muscle, to relax again. Finally thinking Harry was going to get out of there, McGonagall would see to it he'd get looked after, surely she hadn't gone off the rocker as well!

**She tried to coax Harry to his feet, whispering about the hospital wing while blinking back tears-**

The worst part for James was that he wasn't even sure what had finally pushed his old head of house into that, he knew he could count over a dozen things that he could feel trying to leak out of his eyes right now.

**but Dumbledore cut her off with a no.**

"No?" Lily repeated just as sharply, but with a lot more promise of violence. "What does he think he means, no? Hasn't he been through a bloody enough already, does he really need to interrogate him right now!"

Remus sat there in fear for his own life, Lily really needed someone to take out her anger and frustration on and he was the one holding the book, but surprisingly enough Harry cut her off with a gentle arm around her shoulder, his eyes vacant as he whispered, "trust me, it's a good thing I stayed, it'll mean something here in a moment."

Lily deflated, not convinced one bit about this, but willing to hold herself back and see why Dumbledore at least wanted to detain Harry a little longer from some actual help.

**McGonagall tried to protest he'd been through enough-**

There had been several moments where James had wanted to go hug his old transfiguration teacher, and now was certainly one of them. He'd always made sure to give her less hell whenever she showed that compassionate side to Remus, letting him skip his homework that week because he'd been too sick to even attend class that day.

**but Dumbledore insisted he needed to understand what had just happened, only then could he truly recover.**

"Okay, yes, I'll give Dumbledore that one." Remus said mostly to himself as he could see the logic in that, even if his first instinct as well was to haul Harry out of there already and somewhere actually safe.

**Harry tried to tell what Moody had told him, but Dumbledore replied this was not Alastor Moody.**

James felt his face squidge up with absolute confusion, and relief. What on earth could he mean, not Moody, but also, thank Merlin! He didn't even care what the reason was anymore, finally something that didn't feel like his future was hell.

**Alastor Moody would never take Harry away at a time like this, so Dumbledore knew something had been wrong, and followed.**

Sirius could feel himself tensing up in confusion and unease at that, wondering at Dumbledore and just how long he'd been following Harry, how long he'd known he'd been in danger before he struck...and what on earth Dumbledore was even talking about. The real Moody? How could anyone switch places with Alastor Moody and get away with it? And this had to have been happening on and off all year, which meant that somehow both a fake and real Moody had been going around school and no one noticed? This was getting as confusing as a Death Eater Moody!

**Dumbledore turned to his true teachers and asked Snape to go and fetch his strongest Truth Potion, and Winky.**

"What on earth does he want Winky for?" Lily demanded as she ran her hand through her hair. In combat it certainly made sense to follow orders without question, but couldn't he explain why while telling them?

**Then asking McGonagall to go to Hagrid's where a black dog was in the pumpkin patch,**

Sirius perked up with interest at that, no one needed to ask who that could be referring to, but it was an interesting side point that Sirius was in Hagrid's garden of all places. Could that possibly mean he could hear the screams and shouts going on in the Quidditch pitch? What on earth was going through his mind right now, this was even worse than him being in the mountains and having no clue, because a Sirius who heard screaming and could think for even a second his godson was in trouble was a dangerous Padfoot.

**and asked the dog to be escorted to his office, then to return here.**

**If either Snape or McGonagall found these instructions peculiar, they hid their confusion.**

"Does McGonagall know about you then?" Remus cocked his head to the side. Sirius really wasn't the most important part of what was going on, but this was certainly a new enough development it warranted questioning. "You think Dumbledore told her everything?"

"I like to think so," James sighed, "one more person who wouldn't kill him on sight is certainly a good thing."

"Thanks Prongs," Sirius muttered, but it did indeed put a small smile on his face for even a moment that she didn't think all that terrible stuff of him anymore.

**They left, and Dumbledore turned his attention to the unconscious man now, riffing through his pockets and coming up with a key ring. He moved to the trunk which had seven locks, and fitted the first key into place, opening it to find old spells books, and broken Sneako-scopes. He closed the lid, put another key in place, and opened it again to find an Invisibility Cloak.**

"Cool," James muttered to himself. He'd heard about trunks like this, but normally people hid the individual keys in several different locations so one person couldn't have access to the full trunk. It was yet another slip on this carless, imposter Moody that James was going to enjoy for as long as it lead him to what was really going on.

**Dumbledore continued this way until he reached the last lock, and when he threw it open this time, Harry was looking into a pit which contained Mad-Eye Moody.**

Remus _had_ to pause there. Of all of their disbelief and confusion at what Moody was doing, this was still somehow weirder even while they all let out a collective sigh of relief that they had been wrong. Who on earth had been able to do this, and how had they been getting away with it for any length of time? Remus would have happily sat around and dissected this for hours, but Lily was already recovering her shock and waving him on frantically, she'd let herself feel the best relief when Harry was finally being taken care of properly. He'd seen enough in one night to last him a lifetime.

**Harry stared from the one on the floor to the one in the trunk, the latter of whom was clearly unconscious and heavily starved with a bald patch in his grizzled hair. Dumbledore removed the cloak from the one on the outside, and lowered himself to the other, covering him and checking him over. Stating he was unconscious, but in no immediate danger.**

**He came back out and went to the first Moody again, this time finding his hip flask, which he dumped on the ground to find what looked like mud. Dumbledore realized it was Polyjuice Potion.**

"Merlin's pants," James just kept shaking his head like that would help all of this to make sense. The one question he just couldn't get over was how anyone had done this? To another person, to Alastor?

**Dumbledore murmured to himself how ingenious the plan was, this imposter had been taking it frequently and no one would be the wiser, Moody was well known for his hip flask. That's where the bald patch on the trunk Moody came from, this man would have had to keep him on hand to continue using his hair for the potion. Perhaps though, with the excitement of everything tonight, he had not taken his hourly dose...**

Harry could feel himself finally starting to understand where all of his confusion had come from, if perhaps he'd ever met the real Moody of course his brain would have trouble understanding the difference between the two, but the relief was short lived as his mind kept insisting the biggest surprise was still yet to come. He was also trying to suppress the urge to retch at the idea of doing that for a whole year, taking one dose had been an absolute pain on him.

**The time passed in silence, until finally the change began. His skin began bubbling, and then smoothing over so that it was no longer the lined scared features. The leg regrew, popping the peg free. Instead of the grizzled hair, it smoothed and turned fair, the nose filling out, as well as the eye popping out of socket.**

"Ew," Lily crinkled her nose at the thought of wearing a fake eye in general, now she realized it was someone else's!

**Harry was looking upon Crouch's son from the Pensive.**

"No way," Sirius had his head cocked to the side and eyes narrowed in unease at the book. Sirius had claimed to see this very same person die in Azkaban, surely he wasn't so mad he couldn't have exaggerated that distinction. If he had broken out in some other way, it most likely would have been mentioned, it's not as if this mystery person was wearing two layers of enchantments to conceal his appearance.

**Snape and McGonagall had returned then, both yelping in shock upon seeing Barty Crouch.**

Harry finally felt the release of pain he'd been feeling all year, could finally see and understand and felt that huge weight lift off.

"What-no-Crouch vanished ages ago, this is-" James eyes nearly fell out of his head as he repeated to himself, "the kid who was named after him, no way!"

"That's what he meant earlier," Lily shook her head in disbelief, "whoa, so does that mean, did he actually kill his own dad?"

Sirius was just sitting there like a stunned fish, none of this was making any sense to him. That guy was supposed to be dead, there was just no way he could be out and about doing all of these terrible things to his pup, and apparently for months!

Remus was selfishly glad Dumbledore had kept Harry around for all of this now, he'd be going crazy if he didn't get some kind of details about how all of this had been done, and hoped Snape would get on already with whatever that truth potion had been for.

**Behind them, Winky confirmed as much by shrieking in shock about what Master Barty was doing here?**

"Yeah, he should be dead," Sirius repeated aloud what he kept thinking in his head, there was just no way he could have gotten a detail so wrong.

**She slumped to the floor and began sobbing about how they had killed her Master!**

"Sadly we haven't gotten to that part yet," James sneered, this was still the man who'd been doing all of these terrible things to Harry, and while James was happier than anyone it wasn't actually Moody, he still wanted someone's head on a spit for putting his son through this.

**Dumbledore soother her he was just stunned.**

"Why is she even there?" Lily asked of no one, "she hasn't seen him since before, Merlin I don't even know at this point if he ever was dragged into Azkaban or what's going on, but I can't see why her being there is helpful."

"There's a lot of explaining that needs to be done," Remus agreed.

**Snape stepped forward then and handed Dumbledore a small vial full of clear liquid, the Veritaserum which he'd threatened Harry with.**

James muttered some foul comment under his breath about how even that had felt like a simpler and more bearable problem than what they'd been listening to these past few hours.

**Dumbledore force fed this to Crouch, and then used Ennervate.**

**Crouch came back to life in a calm state, his voice monotone when he answered Dumbledore's question he could hear them. Then he was asked how he'd gotten out of Azkaban?**

"Starting with the important stuff at least," Sirius shivered at the mention of that place again, his mind still floundering to understand why this hadn't been front headline news.

**Crouch's voice remained flat as he stated it had all been his mother's doing. She was dying, and as her last wish she'd begged her husband to save their son, he'd agreed. They'd come to visit him with Polyjuice Potion, and swapped places.**

"He, Crouch- no way that he-" Lily could feel something restricting her mind from getting out a full sentence of disbelief at Crouch having done this for his son, for his wife. There was a good cause somewhere in there of the parents saving their child, but clearly this Jr. shouldn't have been given it, considering the way he'd been speaking of Voldemort moments ago, there was no longer any doubt in her mind that he had in fact deserved where he'd been.

**Winky was sobbing harder than ever, begging Barty to stop, he was getting his father into trouble.**

"I'm going to strangle that elf myself if it doesn't shut up," Sirius snapped, in no mood to hear an elf try to protect its master with whatever loony thing they had done.

**She was ignored, as Crouch told how the blind dementors had not known the difference. They'd sensed one healthy and sick person leaving, and entering. Even the prisoners had never watched the swap, didn't know the difference.**

James couldn't help it, he felt another blow torment him as he realized he would have done the same thing for Sirius in a heartbeat to get him out of there, but this scumbag of a Death Eater had been granted this while Sirius had no one.

**His mother had died in that place, she'd brought just enough along to pass in there and been buried as him.**

Everyone's mouth flopped open in horror as they realized just how long Crouch had to have been out of there then, not even as recently as just this year!

The joke slid out of Sirius' mouth before he'd even processed it, "wait, so I'm not the first one to get out of there then?"

Remus slapped him upside the head, hard, for that one. Giving him such a nasty look for the poor joke Sirius didn't even complain as he rubbed at the spot.

**Then his own mother's funeral had been staged, her casket an empty grave. The house-elf had nursed him back to health.**

"I still can't get my head around- how long ago did this happen?" Remus demanded of no one as he tried to figure out how much damage Crouch had done by supposedly helping his child.

Lily felt her throat trying to force out an insane giggle, her arm tightening around Harry more every second as she gasped out, "oh my goodness, do you realize what we're even hearing? Crouch, bloody Bartimus Crouch, went and did the most illegal thing I've ever heard of in my life!"

"I think I prefered him with the stick up his arse," Sirius sneered.

Then he blinked in concern when he watched James temper snap as he howled in outrage, "are you telling me Crouch got his son out of Azkaban, after what he did to Sirius! To all of those people he threw in that place, but he bloody turned into the definition of a hypocrite and smuggled that demented little spawn out!"

Remus was growling low in his throat as he realized what all James meant. They'd realized Crouch had been playing by his own rules, deciding who should and shouldn't be allowed certain privileges and dishing out uses of the Unforgivable curses being done while punishing anyone who did the same without his permission. This was a far worse step up in Crouch taking the law into his own hands! It was disgusting that such a man had ever been allowed to go this far, but with the safe comfort in mind that thankfully Crouch hadn't gotten away with this yet, Remus forced himself to keep going past all the terse mutters of outrage.

**Then Jr. had to be put under control so that he couldn't return to his old ways.**

James felt the cruel joke curling his tongue about how he'd have let him go crawling back to Voldemort, see what kind of reward he'd get. That trial was playing over in his head again, about how pathetic that kid seemed now trying to desperately prove he hadn't been a part of anything and all his comments about how he hated those Death Eaters who had escaped Azkaban when he'd been forced in as well blubbering like a baby. See how Voldemort took that kind of dedication!

**He'd used the Imperius Curse,**

"I see now why he was so lenient on letting Aurors use them," Lily sneered, "he clearly had no moral problems of using them himself."

**and now lived under an Invisibility Cloak so that no one would ever know of his existence. The house-elf became his keeper, and she'd been kind to him, always trying to persuade his father to give him treats.**

**Winky was still trying to protest every bit of this, telling him to stop getting himself into trouble.**

"Glory how I wished I owned Winky right now," Sirius' lip was curling in the worst way, "she'd look lovely with my mother's others." He'd hated his own house-elf the most for a long time, but any creature so willing to help this piece of work was at least on level with his own. Winky was clearly doing her masters work with pride, helping out this monster who had done harm to so many.

**When he ended there, Dumbledore asked if anyone besides his father and Winky knew of this?**

**Crouch's eyes gained a small flicker of life as he whispered Bertha Jorkins.**

"You have got to be kidding me," James dead panned as suddenly so much of that made sense.

"This is the memory charm that was placed on her that screwed up her memory," Sirius shook his head, "and Crouch put it on her, to hide his bleeding kid. Is there anything illegal this one hasn't done?"

"I'm picturing him talking about his law abiding ancestors who respected carpet laws all rolling in their graves," Remus agreed.

**She'd come over one night to get Crouch's signature, but had instead heard Winky talking to the invisible Jr. Bertha had gathered what it all meant, and Crouch had placed a powerful memory charm on her to forget it all, but it had permanently damaged her mind.**

Lily was shaking her head pitifully at all of this, disgust with Crouch waring with what had happened to Bertha. She hadn't done a thing to deserve being the foil of so many more powerful wizards treating her like that. At this point she really couldn't see how Crouch was any better than the Dark wizards he claimed to be putting away.

**Dumbledore switched topics to the Quidditch Cup.**

"How did he know about that?" Remus' eyes narrowed shrewdly, "Crouch mentioned that before Dumbledore got there."

"Either he was listening at the door," Sirius had a frown in place as he didn't like that option one little bit, it implying Dumbledore had actually been standing by while this had been happening to Harry. Surely at least McGonagall hadn't stood for that- "or he put it together himself somehow." He finished his first thought out loud to force himself to stop that depressing trail.

Both options left much to be desired, but it was all they could think of right now, when all they wanted to be thinking of was this night being over for Harry already. They still would claim they would have waited for these answers when Harry was less vulnerable.

**Crouch's monotone voice continued explaining how Winky had convinced his father to go, he'd been under the spell for years now and his mother hadn't died for him to remain in prison. He finally agreed,**

"Crouch's empty seat actually was filled by a Crouch," Remus muttered to himself, though it didn't help one bit that he grasped this mere moments before he'd be explaining it himself. It did slightly help that _no one_ could have seen this coming! Who on earth would suspect a dead person of these deeds! Especially Crouch's son of all people.

**and Jr. took Crouch's supposed seat in the Top Box while the man himself didn't make an appearance. What no one knew was that Jr. was growing stronger, and starting to fight the Imperius Curse.**

Harry shivered in disgust, he didn't want to imagine how long it would take a man to have to be under such a powerful curse to begin to fight it off, but it did stump him slightly as he realized that the same man who had been so magically gifted to Confound an object like the Cup couldn't throw this curse off sooner than years. Still, Harry was finally breathing easy again, at having all of this explained to him. Not at peace, he knew he wasn't going to be getting anywhere close to that feeling again for some time, but his mind was certainly more bearable to be in now.

**He'd had a moment of clarity that night, seeing a wand stick out of a boys pocket, and he'd taken it.**

James buried his face in his fingers now, never having believed he could hate a Quidditch World Cup like he was this one, where seemingly nothing good had come of it! Their one true moment of adolescent fun this year even seemed to be sour when looked back on.

**Winky had seen nothing with her face hidden the whole time.**

**Winky was murmuring into her fingers now about what a bad boy he'd been.**

"Bad boy?" Lily parroted in disbelief. "I think he deserves a bit more than that!" She was steadily growing more red in the face with anger the more she heard about everything Crouch's son had done all because of his father. He could have gotten Harry into real trouble even before his plot to kill him!

**That night when the other Death Eaters had been out Muggle baiting, he'd thrown off his curse entirely. Those were the ones who'd evaded Azkaban, who had the gall to be free and not seek their master.**

James snarled in disgust at hearing this little scum prattling on about those other Death Eaters not being as good as him. He never could even imagine wanting to please Voldemort, but the idea of so many of his followers treating this like a contest of who could gain him more favor made the idea almost laughable in the worst way.

**So Jr. had forged out of the tent with the purpose of doing something about it, but Winky had tried to stop him, dragging him into the forest instead, the duo struggling the whole way through the trees.**

Harry was muttering obscenities under his breath about that night, about all of this and how he should have put all of this together, to warn those around him. If only he could have just gotten something more than a bad feeling, he could have warned them of so many bad things to come.

**Instead what he'd done when he realized he couldn't get away from her, was use his stolen wand and cast the Dark Mark. When the Ministry had arrived, the Stunning Spells had gotten him, and the bond between he and Winky had been broken.**

"And Crouch found his kid under the invisibility cloak where Winky was," Sirius groaned as he rubbed at his temple. Merlin this was the sneakiest thing he'd ever heard in his life, such a complicated plot that honestly made him want to go back and relook at the whole thing just to see what other details they'd missed. How many times had that fake Moody probably let slip what was really going on, and they hadn't caught a bit?

**Winky had been sacked for the near miss, and Jr. had been put back under the Imperius Curse.**

"That does make getting rid of Winky all the more confusing though," Lily cocked her head to the side. "It's not her magic that was holding the Imperious curse, it was his. Was he really blaming her for his magic beginning to slip."

"Clearly he'll blame his mistakes on anyone but himself while trying to bury them in the process," James scoffed.

**Then it was just the two of them when his master came.**

Harry shivered at the idea, of Voldemort showing up on someone else's doorstep all because Wormtail was helping him along at that point, because Wormtail had gotten another innocent person killed and now Crouch's son was free and Voldemort would return.

**He'd arrived with Wormtail,**

At this point Remus was full of so much hatred for what he was reading he was having a hard time finding any more for just speaking the name of that vermin. Maybe it was finally acceptance for what had happened to him and some way to move on, but more likely he was just so consumed with everything else going on he'd go back and hate on him in particular later.

**because he'd gained all of Bertha Jorkins information. His father had been the one to answer the door.**

James wrapped his hands around the back of his neck, straining his muscles to their breaking point as he tensed up in pain for having to relive all what had happened to her again, all because of what Peter had done. Still he couldn't help but wonder if _he_ felt anything for what he'd done to someone he'd once known? Bertha hadn't deserved a moment of the amount of torture she'd endured to be the key to this plan any more than Sirius had deserved to serve his crimes all those years ago, and still he was right at it.

**Now a smile really was lighting his placid features, while Winky began rocking in place but now too appalled to speak.**

Lily was too, but for a completely different kind of appalled at everything that had gone into nearly getting her son killed.

**Like the flip of a switch, Crouch had been placed under the Imperius Curse, and the real servant was free to act how he'd always wanted to. His master had commanded Crouch to go back to his daily life as if nothing had happened.**

"Irony," Remus nodded absently to himself, as every instance of Crouch being sick suddenly made him realize he was just at home because Voldemort couldn't make that Imperious curse believable enough to Crouch's normal behavior. It even occurred to him in that moment that, when they'd all believed him to be sick and creeping around the castle in Snape's office, that had in fact been this other Crouch with the same name. He began offering up charms and ways to improve their map in the back of his mind as he forced himself to keep going so this mistake wouldn't happen again, it was easier to be thinking about than having to read the ravings of this madman.

**Dumbledore quietly asked what Voldemort had asked him to do?**

"I think at this point it's obvious," Sirius snarled, sick of listening to this psychopath having gone on for so long now, and just wanting to usher Harry out of there.

**He'd been asked if he was ready for the hardest task of his life, and Jr. agreed at once. It had been his life's ambition to serve such a purpose for his master.**

Sirius felt bile sitting in the back of his throat, just waiting to come loose the second he tried to make some comment about this mess no matter how much he wanted to mock any being delusional enough to think all that.

**He'd been told the plan, how his master needed a faithful servant at Hogwarts to make the year's events come to pass. First they needed one other person.**

Lily began twirling a strand of hair around her finger again tight enough to make it hurt as she remembered back to all of their comments, teasing and poking Remus that he should have been there again this year, and suddenly selfishly grateful it hadn't been him. She had no clue what would happen if someone tried to use a Polyjuice Potion on him, but it was clear he would have been attacked and in some way removed, possibly worse, for this to have happened.

**Dumbledore agreed they'd needed Alastor Moody. Even while he'd been listening, his eyes were ablaze no matter how calm his voice.**

"I think Dumbledore's pissed this was going on under his crooked nose all year," James nodded to himself.

"You can not possibly blame for this one," Remus shook his head in disbelief, "even with all of these details I can't begin to put together the insanity of this plan, let alone it actually working. The lengths Crouch's son had to go to to make all of this believable, and managed to dupe everyone for a whole year."

The others nodded their agreement, this was not the fault of anyone but Crouch, the pompous ministry git who better hope he stayed gone and mad. It was almost ironic as they realized what had really happened to him, he'd somehow broken his own Imperious Curse and come running for help, but he'd gone mad in the process of throwing off the magic. Most likely he really had wandered back off into the forest and been eaten...but then who attacked Krum?

They were getting too far ahead of themselves, and now hoping Dumbledore would think to question about all of this, Remus forced himself to keep going.

**Once Jr. had assumed his new personality as Moody, tucked the real one away, and tricked Arthur Weasley into believing the whole thing that day, it had been easy enough to continue the farce. He'd stolen ingredients whenever he'd been running low for his potin, nicking the boomslang skin and when confronted, merely saying he'd been told to check the office.**

**Dumbledore asked what of Wormtail when he'd left, and Jr. explained he and his master had stayed in his father's house.**

Hearing repeatedly about _his_ role in this wasn't making it any better to say, let alone hear for any of them!

**When Crouch tried to end again, Dumbledore prompted that Crouch had escaped.**

**Jr. kept going, explaining that he'd too thrown off his curse and tried to run for help, to warn what he'd done.**

Sirius remembered back to how blood thirsty any mention of the rat made him, not hard as it was still lingering in him now at everything he'd still done to Harry this night, but suddenly wished for the first time he could find a way past it and work it under control. Maybe then he would have realized sooner past that rats name and understood what he'd done, how it could have been considered and helped them to understand a bit better.

**His master had warned of the escape, and so he'd used the map he'd taken from Harry Potter to keep an eye on the castle.**

"Bloody hell, that Death Eater is not using my map!" James snarled in outrage as he jumped to his feet. He'd been still too long, felt too many emotions for too long. He was storming around the room now as he reached a new level of rage, the pride he'd felt when he thought Moody had complimented him suddenly as tainted and twisted as everything Peter and he had ever done. His vision was starting to blur, this was too much in one sitting, to much to have to deal with day after day.

"I know Prongs," Remus commiserated with him, his mind working in the same wavelength and realizing every instance they'd ever appreciated having Moody around this year was tainted red because of his true purpose. Merlin's pants a Death Eater had been the first person to use that Imperious Curse on Harry! Then his mind really realized that it had been in fact this same bleeding Death Eater that helped Harry throw off the curse when faced with Voldemort. While Remus at least appreciated that, he saw how close he was to being done, and knowing they all needed to vent and get away a little because of too much information overload, he tried to sooth his friend by promising he was almost done and then he could scream and rant about this all he wanted.

**Dumbledore was confused at the mention of the map,**

"Hey look, I didn't tell Dumbledore about that last year," Sirius muttered to himself, remembering he was currently up in Dumbledore's office probably having his own panic attack up there because Harry still wasn't safe in his arms. He wanted this done as much as anything just for Harry to be free of this environment.

**and so had to be explained of Potters map that saw everything, that nearly ruined everything. Potter had seen his name one night when he'd been in Snape's office, and so Moody had to trick him into why he'd really been in there, and Potter had never realized the name swapd.**

"Don't you even," Lily whispered in Harry's ear as she saw how frustrated he was at having been so behind on all of this. "Not a damned thing of this is your fault, how were you to know better? In all honesty, I still would have believed that part was true even in light of all this new."

Harry sighed, not particularly agreeing this all wasn't somehow his fault. It was still his presence in school that had a Death Eater there this year, that had gotten Cedric killed...but for now he nodded to his mother and just waved for it all to be over.

**When it did happen, he'd had the forewarning of that map to go down and try to catch his father first. He'd stunned Krum and killed his father.**

"Whoa," Sirius did a double take on that one. "He actually killed killed him?" He hadn't realized this meant he'd literally struck the curse.

"He wasn't any more use to them," Remus was scowling down at the pages hatefully, if a little regretfully that's how he'd died without his crimes being shown for all, but loving the taste of this irony even more than the last. The person Crouch had gone to such lengths to get him out of Azkaban had been his own death in the end, as much as he deserved.

**Winky began sobbing uncontrollably now, insisting this couldn't be so!**

Sirius shook his head in disgust, he kept forgetting that stupid elf was there, that she'd had a hand in all of this all because she'd blindly followed along with whatever her master told her to do because she was too stupid to have a moral compass of her own and realize this was wrong. In fact a lot of this could be blamed on her, she'd been the one to get Crouch's kid discovered by Bertha for having such a fat mouth, she'd been the one trying to 'reward,' the bleeding lunatic by letting him go to the Cup. Winky's idiocies and lengths she went to help her masters truly was the downfall of this generation of wizards because it had all in a roundabout way given Voldemort his return.

**Dumbledore asked what had been done with the body, and Jr. explained he'd hidden it away, then circled back and claimed Snape had sent him down there in the first place.**

"Hey look, we got our answer to that!" James threw his hands up in exasperation. At some point all of these answers had clouded together in his brain and he couldn't process anything more than wanting to break someones face already.

**Then he'd come back and transfigured the body into a bone, before burying it in Hagrid's lawn.**

Lily let out a squeal of disgust, scrambling back in her mind and trying to remember when Harry had been playing with the Nuzzlers in Hagrid's yard, and how close her baby had been to another dead body! Having to watch Cedric's had been horrifying enough, but if his had happened twice in one year?! She only marginally relaxed, though the disgust still lingered, as she recalled this had all happened to Harry later in the day, after Hagrid's lesson.

**Dumbledore wanted this completed, asking about tonight and that Triwizard Cup.**

**Jr. agreed he'd turned it into a Portkey,**

Remus realized he had a few nagging questions and suspicions about the meaning of that, though he could think of a few answers offering themselves, he'd want to go over those in detail if he could ever think freely again.

**and his master's plans had worked. He would be honored to his wildest dreams!**

"Oh I'll see that you're _honored_ alright," Sirius scowled hatefully.

**That insane smile still lingered on his features as Winky wailed.**

"Done," Remus moaned as he gave the book a nasty toss away from him, well beyond done with this day's events, and there still seemed to be some left to go.

* * *

I've decided to add the 'discussion' of this book into the next chapter, Sunday. They really are going to want a break before the last 'bad' thing happens this book.

*Sorry that's the best kind of Dr. Who reference I could slip in. David Tennant is the name of the Dr. who, pun not intended there, played Jr. in the movies...


	37. Convoluted

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it, to everyone else, here's a special holiday treat! This chapter is a compilation of every insane plot hole of this book and others explained in my own insane way.

To Peyton: First of all, you're so sweet with your kind reviews, thank you! But sadly, Changing the Future was taken down because I'm not allowed to post another person's work...for some reason. I can send you and anyone who asks the full seven books if you send me an email!

* * *

Lily watched James pace anxiously, as she took the book from Remus, but didn't continue on. She knew he needed a release, they all needed to vent about what they'd heard before they had to hear something worse yet. So she excused herself to make sure Harry's playpen still had the silencing charm activated on it, and by the time she came back Sirius was certainly being chatty enough.

"-best guess is she would have gone to whomever her nearest bloodline was. Elves have a shorter life expectancy than us so it's usually not a problem, but if the Crouch's didn't have any immediate family than she would have most likely gone crawling to whomever she felt should be her next master by bloodline."

Harry looked up from watching him curiously to explain to his mother's confused look, "I was just asking what would have happened to Winky if she hadn't been sacked? With both of her master's gone now." He finished with a faraway gaze in his eyes, Harry seemed quite sure this was an important enough question. He shook his head though and smiled at her, then Sirius before continuing, "wouldn't Crouch have ever mentioned where she'd go? If like he'd been on his deathbed, wouldn't he get to decide?"

"Well sure," Sirius shrugged, "you can make a will to decide where it goes along with the rest of your property, and Crouch was definitely organized enough to have thought of doing that, but this is all hypothetical anyways."

Harry nodded his agreement, and glanced at his dad, but their inane chatter had not lessened his hasty steps one bit.

Lily sank into her seat, and watched him only for a moment before saying, "alright James, out with it."

Whether he'd been waiting for the opportunity or her cajoling finally burst him, he did indeed shout, "why Harry! Why the bloody hell was he involved in all of that!? I don't understand why he was so central to having to go through that!?"

Lily was flipping randomly through pages in the first chapter, that had been on her mind a lot during that Voldemort stuff, and she tried to calmly answer him without her voice shaking from the stress of constantly having to remember what all her baby went through. "That was actually mentioned already, because Voldemort wanted to use...well me as well as Harry."

Her hand started shaking too bad, and she steadied it by wrapping it around Harry again who curled into her touch.

"How did he even know that would work though," Remus shook his head in disbelief. "All he'd ever tried to do before that was strangle Harry, never cast a curse on him. Did he really understand the intricacies of you dying for him would protect him?"

"I suppose I can see it," Sirius said begrudgingly. "He'd have to wonder why Quirrell couldn't have done the deed, and sadly I won't deny he's got to be at least as smart as Dumbledore. If one can put it together, then it's safe to assume the other can as well."

Lily suddenly went ghastly pale as her hand tightened around Harry, only just able to hiss out the words, "so is Harry even safe at that bloody place anymore?"

"Lily?" Remus questioned in concern.

"The only reason Harry's at the Dursleys in the first place is because he's supposedly safe from Voldemort there, but if Voldemort can get past my magical protection, well then he shouldn't have to go back to that horrid place again."

This was such a good and bad thing at once no one was even sure how to process it for a second until Harry shook his head and sighed, "No, I'm quite sure I go back. Dumbledore said so long as I called that place home, and sadly I did still use it as my address even if I felt more at home at the Burrow that first day than all my years there."

"That shouldn't be how it works," Remus snapped. Logically he could see the magic existing on a technicality like that, but it didn't make his chest hurt any less thinking about it.

Sirius blinked as he realized what all he'd even said though, and began slowly, "how does Dumbledore even know about that blood magic? He wasn't there the night it happened, only heard about it second hand after the fact of, well we don't even know who the first person who saw that was and went around telling people. Dumbledore apparently never even went there himself, he had Hagrid deliver him, he even seemed to have set all that stuff up at the Dursleys even before all of this."

"There's no bleeding way this was a backup plan all along," Remus wrinkled his nose as he tried to guess where Sirius was going with this. "Dumbledore would never have expected something like this to be coming."*

Sirius had nothing more to add, but instead they all fell silent as they came to a stumped end on that. It was always a head scratcher how Dumbledore seemed to know everything, this was just one particular moment where they _really_ wished they'd been in on it.

More so James could keep his mind on a subject he could still gripe about, he switched to, "fine, then why didn't anyone show up to help him! There was all kinds of magic being shot off in that Muggle cemetery! Unforgivable Curses at that! Harry's underage as well, yet no obliviators showed up just in case there were Muggles in the area who shouldn't have been watching."**

"Maybe there were some more Death Eaters in that department keeping it all hushed up," Harry offered.

"Only two knew of the plan," Remus reminded.

"But I'm sure when the Dark Mark burned, any of his other followers would have had to do some quick thinking," Harry insisted.

"If they were in the know enough to have a Mark, they would have either run or joined Voldemort, not stuck around an office doing paperwork," Lily shook her head.

"Actually that's kind of a good point all around," Sirius rubbed at his jaw, "even back during Frank's death, why wouldn't the Ministry have come calling? Merlin, during the first three Riddle deaths, who does the wizarding world think did that in a Muggle village, we never heard a bit about that."

"You think there are wizards in the area?" Harry suddenly brightened with understanding as he was sure that was somewhere close to the answer.

James was not going to be sidetracked so easily, clearly somehow, someway the Ministry hadn't shown up because of the magic, but still he persisted, "well what about the bloody portkey then? Those are registered!"

Harry wanted to interrupt to ask why the portkey had worked at all, the first one he'd used had been on a timer, this had just been the first person to touch it, but he instead worked it out in his head that perhaps you could indeed set it for both. It wasn't the most complex bit of magic he'd heard, and Sirius was already answering.

"You can make unregistered portkeys," Sirius reminded, "you just get into a crap ton of trouble if you get caught. Besides, there was already one on it, Dumbledore most likely put that portkey in place to bring the champion back to the front of the maze, so nobody would think of the second layer on."

"I've actually been wondering about that," Remus agreed. "Do you realize the amount of planning that had to go into this whole bloody thing for it to have gone off without a hitch? Jr. had to infiltrate the school, make it believable all year, and be the one to be allowed to place the Cup in the center of the maze to put that portkey on. Voldemort sure went through a lot of trouble for this to perfectly play out."

"Why did I have to go there exactly ater the third task at all?" Harry sighed. "Was there some clause in the potion saying I had to be a triwizard champion?"

Lily gave a weak giggle at Harry's attempt at humor, but let Remus explain since she knew he was the only one who even had a vague idea about that potion.

"No, no, that was just the timing that the potion had to be brewed, at the certain lunar eclipse at that specific time of the year. That's another part of this plan that just seems to fall absolutely bloody perfectly into place, that the night the tournament ended was the night the potion was to be brewed."

"That could have been modified by an Imperiused Crouch," Sirius reminded. "Who says the final date of the last task couldn't have been switched for whatever crap reason he used to make this fall better into Voldemort's plan."

"They didn't make it sound that way in the beginning," James reminded tersely, his energy had only managed to increase with all of these not really answers. "It was said any person could be used for this, Voldemort just wanted Harry specifically."

"They would have just had them on standby until this moment," Remus shrugged.

Lily had still been thumbing through those first few pages as she came across an interesting part. "What did it mean one more was supposed to die? In the beginning when Voldemort was talking about how he had to have one more person murdered for all of this to work, but Frank, and Crouch were both killed unplanned. Who else was supposed to be dying exactly?"

"Most likely Crouch was going to be killed eventually when he ran out his usefulness," Sirius shrugged without remorse.

"Or me," Harry reminded, "blood of the enemy could have meant all my blood, I'm sure if those first few drops hadn't shown the results I'd have just been drained dry, that's why Moody never 'accidentally' got me in the nose one day and just saved my blood for the spell."

"Remember the unwillingly given part," Lily reminded, "you would have had to have full knowledge of knowing where the blood was going for that to have worked."

Harry was watching those green eyes steadily, something else of that night had been nagging in the back of his mind with a deep worry, but it wasn't one he'd even wanted to consider. Watching her baby though, Lily quietly whispered, "what is it love? May as well ask now instead of letting it fester."

"Just a stupid worry is all," he tried to shrug off. "If I'd done something wrong, if I hadn't been able to force those...beads or whatever into Voldemort's wand, but instead they'd gone into mine. I'd never have gotten to see you, you wouldn't have been able to save my life. What would have happened, it just would have shown the spells I'd been using, and I would have..." he trailed off by furiously rubbing at his forehead to stave away the pain of his brain telling him to shut up and quit poking at this topic. He still was absolutely positive that he would in fact run into this problem again, his and Voldemort's wands would cross again, but no one in here had even the slightest clue of what had happened on any level, so he swallowed his worry and nestled in closer to her.

James sighed, but seeing Harry beginning to fight with himself again, he went back over and flopped down next to him, even as one more grating question burst out. "What about that fake Moody then? I can barely buy that he got away all year tricking Dumbledore into not realizing, I mean they are friends. Jr. never did one thing odd enough Dumbledore tried to ask him a question?" He didn't give anyone a chance to say anything about that as he kept going, "Even then, how did he use magic through those mazes without anyone seeing him? How did he even get his magic through those maze walls? It took some effort for Harry to blast a small hole through one!"

Lily closed the book firmly and tucked it away so that she could keep one hand attached to Harry's, and reach the other around to rub at the back of James neck. "I know dear, the whole thing's just bloody question after question, it's frustrating to have to guess and figure this all out on our own. Remember though, that Moody was standing in that circle when Harry and the other champions first approached. Most likely he Imperiod Krum right then, and had him shadowing Harry the whole time to make it easier on him, while coming across Fleur and dealing with her, etc.."

"I was wondering about that though," Harry frowned. "How could Krum use the Avada Kedavra curse on someone under the Imperious?"

"You shouldn't take your unique reaction as the rule," Remus reminded with that old teacherly smile Harry had grown so used to during his time during third year whenever Professor Lupin had been asked a question. "For most people, it's far more like an out of body experience. Jr. has full control of them, and it's his magic that's being funneled through into Krum."

Sirius was still watching his best mate, and talk of the Imperius Curse certainly wasn't helping him to ease back into any good type of mood which would be needed to finish this book, so Sirius instead changed topics to, "I've been thinking more about why Winky was there in the first place, and I think it was Dumbledore's way of making sure everything that was said was proven."

"That doesn't make any sense," James disagreed, instantly engaged in anything he could practically argue with. "Not only did Dumbledore ask for the Veritaserum first, but as far as he knew Winky hadn't seen Jr. in years, he'd had no idea before it all got started her part in any of it."

"Still, she was his elf at one point," Remus reminded, "I'm sure if at any point Dumbledore didn't believe this wasn't Crouch's son, he could have forced him to give Winky an order, and if she didn't listen then there really was something else going on."

"That's convoluted," Lily rolled her eyes.

"That describes our whole day," James sighed.

* * *

*Honestly though, I do wonder about this. Dumbledore knew Voldemort had heard that prophecy, and he knew the two boys who would be the targets. What if he had put those spells up on both Augusta, and Petunia's house months ago when he first heard the thing? He'd be banking on that family to take the boys in regardless of how they died, but the manner in which Lily did die just somehow made the blood magic all the better for it. I don't understand the exact spells he used, but I somehow feel like he would have forethought to encase these special boys before the attack.

**Question offered by Guest: That's actually a really good question. We do know Marvolo was blamed for the first three, but Morfin died well before Frank's and really should have showed up on Ministry Magic radar...let me know some theories for this.


	38. THE PARTING OF THE WAYS

In my research to find a Dr. Who thing for the last chapter, because my dedicated friend had insisted there should be at least one in this book, I came across the fact that the chapter title to this is in fact an episode title...fun fact!

To Payton: Sorry, didn't catch that. To everyone who wants me to send them along, make sure you space out your emails properly for it to work, example: insert at insert . com

* * *

Lily could still feel the unease living in the room. They were all exhausted, though it was only the middle of the afternoon. It was the emotional drainage of having to hear everything Harry had to live through in his life, and always feeling like it was never going to get better. As she sat there staring into nothing, still trying to come up with some kind of answer to understand why Harry had to somehow magically summon their ghosts for help, she finally came to the conclusion, "they could have made that graveyard Unplottable before the night started."

"Eh?" James murmured, still slumped in on himself and cursing the weight of the world on his son.

"Err, Voldemort could have instructed that whole graveyard been made Unplottable before the night began, as well as the house he was staying in. It's such a small area I doubt the Ministry would notice that on their radar, and it would explain that horrid mess."*

James sighed, but didn't argue the point, none of them did. It was a good answer, but the amount of forethought, _and the one who would have had to put that curse up,_ hardly made that feel better.

Still, they'd had their moment of peace, a kick back to reality as they got their chances to air their grievances and talk about what they'd heard, which always helped even a bit to make this all seem more understandable. So she picked this book back up, and went to hopefully the last chapter.

**Dumbledore stood up and stared down at Crouch for a moment with disgust on his face.**

Sirius frowned lightly, it was hard to imagine that look.

**Dumbledore made sure to conjure ropes around him and charged McGonagall to keep an eye on him while Harry was escorted to his office.**

**McGonagall agreed at once, and though she looked nauseous at everything, she drew her wand steady.**

James almost felt a real smile again, it was good to know you could always trust McGonagall.

 **Dumbledore** **then had Snape to fetch Pomfrey and come care for Moody still in the trunk, then to find Fudge and bring him up to his office. He'd have his own questions.**

Harry suddenly cocked his head to the side as he thought back over all Crouch had told again, and a sudden hope tried to grapple within him. Jr. himself had just admitted he'd seen the existence of Pettigrew, and if Sirius' testimony wasn't enough to say he was alive, could this man's be? He forced himself not to say anything about it, not only because he felt no settling feeling that even slightly indicated he should be hoping for this, but also because he remembered all the rules and restrictions around this Veritaserum potion that implied while all of this was true under the potion, none of it would hold up in court where it really mattered. If though...if that could possibly happen, Harry just knew everything that happened tonight would be worth it...except Cedric.

**Snape left, and Dumbledore had to prop Harry upright to get him moving. His leg, which hadn't been paining him while he hadn't been thinking about it, came back with a vengeance.**

Lily crooned again, she was now convinced she'd never feel comfortable letting go of her baby again with everything he'd been through.

**He also realized that he was shaking. Dumbledore gripped his arm and helped him out into the dark corridor.**

James wriggled around in both appreciation someone was doing that for him, and the ever present longing his name couldn't be used in any other tense other than past when it came to his son.

**Dumbledore was going to lead him to his office first, Sirius was there.**

Sirius was wriggling in his spot so much he was going to dislodge his cushion from beneath him, and still he didn't care. He knew he'd be going crazy up in that office, not having any clue what was going on, and most of all where Harry was! He knew the answer and he was still feeling tormented over his pup!

**Harry had nothing in him to argue, all he could feel was numb and he hoped it didn't leave.**

Lily was wishing that she didn't have to read now, so that she could pass the book along to someone else and hum in his ear that everything was going to be okay. James was keeping him fairly well distracted though, occasionally leaning over and giving him a small poke, or murmuring some stupid little comment or joke in his ear every few moments to keep his attention distracted just like he always did for Sirius whenever his terrible fate had come up. Harry was clearly enjoying the attention, so she couldn't bring herself to stop what was working even if she wasn't the solution.

**The trip there was silent until once again Harry found himself in the office lined with portraits of old headmasters. His mind wasn't in here though, but on Mad-Eye in the trunk, and Wormtail slumped to the ground cradling his bleeding stump,**

Remus shook his head viciously from side to side, that image was still going to be the one to haunt all of them the longest. Lily could hardly get it out in any intelligible way.

**Voldemort rising from the Cauldron, and Cedric...**

Harry made a noise deep in the back of his throat, he still felt raw and exposed as that memory was forced to the forefront as sharp as if it had happened just hours ago! He didn't care he was physically older now, that he could feel even now this wasn't the worst or deepest loss he'd feel. It was the first, an innocent person that Harry had lead to death however unintentionally, and no amount of comfort anyone could offer was going to make that feel any less.

**Harry came too long enough to ask where Mr. and Mrs. Diggory were?**

Lily felt something deep rattling her lungs as she forced that out, she couldn't even begin to imagine the pain of what those parents were feeling. She'd thought the worst thing in the world was not being there for her baby in all of this, but suddenly she realized how much worse it all could be. If her and James hadn't been there that night, if they had come back and merely found their infant dead...no, she couldn't even begin to picture such a thing!

**Dumbledore told they were with Professor Sprout, she was his head of house. His voice, which had remained completely calm during his interrogation of Crouch, now shook.**

Remus closed his eyes for a moment in a soft thank you for this not having happened to Cedric yet, that no one would have to feel the loss of this when they had some way to fix this.

**They reached the stone gargoyle and soon were stepping inside to a white faced Sirius, who was across the room the moment he caught sight of Harry.**

Harry gave his godfather a shaky smile that meant everything to him. He cared so much for Mrs. Weasley, for all of them and everything they'd done for him, but in that moment Sirius was the only one in the world he'd wanted to see, and his godfather had been there for him.

**He was already demanding to know what had happened! He'd known something bad was going to happen!**

"Really Sirius? With the I told you so's, now? Thought that was my line," Remus muttered for him alone.

Sirius managed a brave enough smile for him, wanting to make the snide comment he'd only done it because Remus hadn't been there to, but that would only make them all feel worse as they kept having to remember the distant person that Remus had changed into.

**His hands shook as he helped Harry into a chair.**

James met Sirius' eyes for a moment in silent agreement, the two had never felt closer in that moment where they both knew where they stood in helping Harry.

**Harry sunk into it in another state of oblivion, so ready to nodd of now and not have to move again for hours.**

Lily remembered how angry she'd felt at Moody trying to get all of that Voldemort information about Harry out of him while he still needed a nice rest, and now she was all the more angry at Dumbledore fixing to do the exact same thing to Harry! He bleeding deserved to have one night of peace before he had to relive all of that! Hopefully Sirius would come over his shock any moment and tell their old headmaster to shove it and escort Harry to the hospital wing.

**He was startled back by a soft warmth landing on his knee, and blinking steadily at the scarlet head of Fawkes blinking up at him.**

Harry could feel a smile gracing himself as he remembered this, somehow he knew just how precious that bird was to him. He'd saved his life more than just that night with the basilisk, of that Harry was sure, and it involved this night somehow.

**Dumbledore explained up to the point of what Croch had told them, but now looked at Harry expectantly to fill in the rest, the part only he was there for to tell.**

James made a frustrated noise equal to how Lily was reading, he was going to choke Dumbledore with his own beard before he got the first question out!

**When Harry remained silent, Dumbledore asked Harry to recount what happened after he touched the Portkey.**

"He told you, Voldemort came back, details later," Remus muttered petulantly, no matter how much he knew Dumbledore wouldn't go for that.

**Sirius snapped at once Harry could do this later, his hand tight on Harry's shoulder as he told Harry needed his sleep.**

"Thank you Sirius," they all told him sincerely. Sirius agreed so much that was the right course of action he didn't even rub it in.

**Harry felt a rush of gratitude toward Sirius, but Dumbledore took no notice of his words.**

"Oi!" Sirius yelped at once. Dumbledore shouldn't have even bothered calling him up there if he wasn't going to allow him to take care of Harry!

"Guess at this point we should be grateful Sirius was even invited up there," James sneered, still having to fight the urge to break something more every moment.

**Harry had to fight to meet his eyes, but when he did Dumbledore began first explaining that if he thought sleep would help, he would do just that, but numbing the pain would only make it hurt worse later.**

Sirius had to swallow hard at hearing that though. Much as he was loath to admit it, he couldn't deny Dumbledore was right on that one. He'd just give anything for it not to have to be done to Harry ever.

**Harry had shown bravery beyond what anyone had ever seen this night, and Dumbledore just needed him to continue to do so a bit longer.**

**Fawk piped in with one long note, it felt like a warm drop seeping through to every bit of him.**

It was clearly going to be done, Lily and them were going to have to listen to it all one more time, so instead she said the only vague thing she could at that moment that wouldn't hurt. "I still want a phoenix by the way."

"It's on my list of future presents for you dear," James vowed.

**Lingering on that for as long as he could, Harry took a deep breath, and he told them everything.**

**Sirius made to interrupt a few times, to give Harry a break while his hand never left his shoulder, but Dumbledore always silenced him before he could. Harry was glad of that, it was easier to keep going now he'd started.**

Sirius was jerking and twitching in place now, every bit of him telling him to somehow, someway find something to say to make this easier on Harry, but Remus held him back with just a small shake of his head. Like Harry, Lily just wanted to get through this part as fast as possible, and nothing anyone said could make it better, so best to be done with it.

**The more he spoke, the better he even began to feel, as if speaking all this aloud was riding the poison in him.**

James made that promise to Harry now, that if at any time he wanted to stop this could all be over, he didn't have to handle more than he was capable just for them.

Harry just smiled at him, promising right back that he could take this so long as they weren't going anywhere, but that answer from his parents went without saying.

**When he got to the part of Wormtail taking the blood from his arm, Sirius made such a violent noise of exclamation Harry started.**

"I can imagine how that would sound," Remus scowled, they'd had to live through that excruciating pain of realizing over and over again just what their old friend had done to them, to Harry, and that pain was still as horrid to them all as what Voldemort had done.

**Dumbledore did make to stop Harry this time, coming around to look at the arm himself while Harry explained the purpose of it. For just a moment, Harry was sure he saw a gleam of triumph in Dumbledore's eyes.**

If Lily had stopped to consider, she'd have expected a variety of reactions from Dumbledore. Disappointment that the magic she'd imbedded had now been lessened, concern that now Harry had one less protection against that monster, but triumph!

Looking up in fiery outrage though, she saw that Harry had an odd look on his face that had the other boys just as stunned. He seemed contemplative, whatever he thought he'd seen in Dumbledore clearly was stirring something in him...and that something meant a great deal to his future. Lily still wanted to yell, rage, and scream about Dumbledore's reaction, but for the first time since that graveyard had been mentioned Harry didn't look as bad anymore, so she'd take this moment and keep it for later.

**It was gone so fast Harry was sure it was only his exhausted mind, and Dumbledore had already retaken his seat.**

"Oh I doubt you've imagined anything," Remus had his eyes narrowed, trying to come up with any explainable reason for what he was sure Harry had seen of that reaction. "You've proven time and again how perceptive you are."

Harry would have disagreed his own talent if he wasn't so sure Remus was right, he hadn't imagined that, he just had no clue what it could mean for him.

**All Dumbledore said to that was that Voldemort had overcome one barrier, then he asked Harry to continue.**

Still James couldn't stop himself from snarling, "that's all he has to say! Merlin's pants man, can't he show just a little more concern for what's going on!"

"I don't know who he's trying to be stoic for," Sirius agreed nastily. "Harry doesn't want some impassive listener. Dumbledore sharing what he's really thinking would be the most helpful."

Lily was thankful at least Sirius was there for that, she knew at least he was there in a way Harry needed.

**He managed to get all the way to the end, but trailed off as he couldn't find the words to explain how he'd gotten free. The ghosts of Cedric, Bertha, his parents...**

James had his arm tight around Harry, while rubbing his hand up and down Lily's spine. He'd never be able to put into words everything he felt about that moment.

**He was glad when Sirius broke the silence,**

"Least someone is," Sirius whispered to himself, unable to stop himself doing the same in here, if he could do anything to make this easier to bear than he would be.

**asking why the wands would connect like that?**

**Dumbledore at first only answered Priori Incantatem.**

"There's no way that's just it," Remus murmured, running his hand through his hair in thought. "It doesn't explain much of anything that we haven't already worked out."

"Hopefully Dumbledore explains better," Sirius agreed with his head cocked to the side.

**Then he properly explained that as the two wands shared a core,**

Harry couldn't help but tense up, for just a moment, his eyes flickering to Sirius with fear. He'd never shared that with his godfather, and that old insecurity was rearing its head again, leaving Harry wondering if someone he cared about so much would look on at him with disgust for learning that...

They had never forgotten that fact, but no one would have considered it had any more impact in a duel...

**two feathers from the same phoenix, the same in this room in fact as he nodded at his own bird.**

Sirius made a breathy noise that was probably a laugh under any other circumstance.

"Fawkes eh?" Remus was shaking his head at the universe. "When did something like that start feeling like such a small surprise."

"When Voldemort returned five minutes ago," James sighed even if he did have a lingering smile for this turn of events.

**Dumbledore nodded at Harry's surprise, explaining that Ollivander had written the news to him the moment Harry had left the shop.**

Lily tisked in disapproval, Harry had enough invasion of privacy this year, was that really anyone but Harry's business? She was so sick of every aspect of his life being front headline news at this point she was even starting to get frustrated at Dumbledore knowing so much about him he'd never shared.

**Sirius didn't let the surprise last long as he prompted what would happen when they met.**

Harry made such a sigh of relief it couldn't have gone unnoticed, but he wished he'd been able to bury it better as he watched them all look at him in surprise. He quickly flipped on a smile and fibbed, "just happy you're asking is all, I'm exhausted by that point and don't think I'd have bothered. Anything to get me out of there sooner." Truthfully though no one called him on it, he was now confident he'd catch hell in here for letting them think for even a moment he'd doubted Sirius, even he felt deep down how ludicrous his moment of fear had been.

**Dumbledore explained they would not act how they should,**

"That seems really flawed," Remus jerked in surprise. "Why would you ever pick two from any one beast then, if ever that possibility could happen?"

"No clue," James was honestly just as surprised. "Be sure to ask Ollivander when you get the chance."

**but if forced to duel, they would enact the reversal magic.**

"That is absolutely fascinating," Lily said honestly, "I'd love to hear all about this if I hadn't already seen the results." She kept her knee pressed tight against Harry's the whole time, still wishing she could do anything to stop all that happening to her baby, yet so many things beyond simple words that the end result had been Harry's seeing her in that way.

**Starting with the most recent, and then going backwards. He explained they were not truly alive, but echoes of themselves in their last moments. Harry agreed, explaining how Cedric had spoken to him, and he could hardly get the words out, but Dumbledore finished for him saying his parents spoke to him as well.**

**Sirius' grip was suddenly painful on Harry's shoulder.**

Sirius couldn't stop a soft whimper now, having to fight the impulse to go over to his brother now and never let go. He couldn't even stand the idea of losing him, but thirteen years later after having had to relive the moment over and over again in Azkaban, Sirius really should be counting himself lucky he wasn't a blubbering mess on the floor by this point.

**Dumbledore asked what exactly those shadows had told Harry to do, and Harry finished all the way to Cedric's final request.**

Harry knew that he'd stopped there, that it was all finally over, but still some part of him knew it would never leave him. That night would never really go away.

**At this point Harry found he could not continue. He looked around at Sirius and saw that he had his face in his hands.**

Sirius was only stopping himself from crying now by the tightest clench of his jaws. James was fine now! This wasn't going to happen to him! Remus whispered something to him and Sirius gave one tight, jerky nod of his head before Remus waved Lily on.

**Harry looked back down to see Fawkes had moved from his knee to the floor in front of his lower leg, resting his head against the still bleeding and sticky wound where his tears quickly mended it.**

"Joyful, one physical pain down, the rest to go," James got out in a guttural attempt at his normal voice, but it was the best he could do.

**Dumbledore watched his bird take flight back to his perch as he told Harry once again he'd been braver than anyone could have ever asked for, in the same level as those that had died during Voldemort's reign.**

Harry felt his fists tighten, he knew he was living in a way he knew his parents could be proud of, and it had never meant so much to him.

**Now it was time Harry get his rest, Harry now needed to go down to the Hospital Wing, take a Sleeping Potion, and enjoy some peace. He turned and asked Sirius if he'd be joining Harry?**

Sirius had to clear his throat hard before he got out, "what kind of stupid question is that?"

"Dumbledore's losing his insightful touch," Remus agreed while trying to keep the wateriness out of his voice.

**Sirius agreed at once and changed forms.**

**When they got there, it was to find three Weasley's and Hermione harassing Madam Pomfrey to find out where Harry was.**

Harry had felt safe and secure with Sirius there by his side, but now he felt such a flood of warmth chase away the chilling cold of this night at the sight of his friends, his first family there. "Why wasn't Ginny there?" Harry didn't even seem to register the disappointment in his voice.

"I can imagine Molly forced her to go to her common room, to stay safe like the rest of the school most likely is," Lily was watching Harry oddly, as she explained a mother's instinct. "Ron though, I'm positive she'd understand why he needed to see his friend."

Harry gave an almost pouting nodd all of them couldn't help noticing.

**All of them whipped around as Harry, Dumbledore, and the black dog entered, and Mrs. Weasley let out a kind of muffled scream.**

Lily couldn't really feel the resentment Molly's presence should have caused. She'd played her part, she'd saved her son, now he still had someone there to look after him.

**She began rushing Harry, and Dumbledore interceded. Insisting at once that Molly, nor anyone, was to ask Harry any questions for the rest of the night.**

"Did he really think they would?" Lily raised a sharp brow. "No one but you would have demanded answers from him!"

**Mrs. Weasley understood it at once, turning on the others and shushing them as if they were still being loud.**

Remus let out such a vicious snort his nose almost fell off, he just couldn't help it. Molly was sick with worry and her first instinct was to make sure Harry got exactly what he needed in her own special way.

**Pomfrey began to ask about the dog that was Sirius,**

Sirius felt a deep throated growl resonating in his throat, Poppy should know by now Sirius didn't leave his family alone in that hospital wing! He didn't care if she didn't know that was actually him, he wasn't going anywhere.

**but Dumbledore promised he was perfectly well behaved.**

"Well that's debatable," James forced an eye roll, but at least Sirius' growling had stopped.

Sirius playfully stuck his tongue out at him, but was so relieved Dumbledore had allowed this he wasn't going to say anything else.

**Harry felt a rush of gratitude for Dumbledore asking no one to speak to him more, he knew he couldn't bear living through it all one more time.**

"I know they'd get that," Remus nodded peaceably. "I'm positive Lily's right and they wouldn't have anyways.

**Harry slumped into his bed and Dumbledore left, explaining he'd be addressing the school in the morning. Harry then caught sight of Moody, with his leg and eye laid out on the side beside him. Harry asked if he was okay.**

James made an odd noise, like he wanted to laugh at that but it got lost somewhere. It just never ceased to amuse, and warm him how Harry seemed to care about everyone before himself, even someone he'd never even technically met now.

**Pomfrey promised he'd live while pulling the curtains around Moody's bed while everyone sat in chairs around him.**

"Really Padfoot, sitting in the chair," Remus forced a smirk at him.

Before he could respond, Harry actually managed a weak laugh and corrected, "he'd actually crawled under the bed, but I could still see his tail sticking out. He was in between Ron and Hermione, and they kept glancing down to make sure they weren't stepping on it."

"I appreciate that," Sirius managed a real smile. "You can't begin to imagine how painful it is."

**Ron and Hermione were looking at him cautiously, as though scared of him.**

"Not of you," Lily corrected at once, "for you. They want to help, they just can't imagine where to begin."

Harry gave her a soft smile, he knew he was going to be valuing his friends a lot in the coming times.

**He promised them all he was okay, just tired. Mrs. Weasley reached over and smoothed his covers around him unnecessarily,**

That same smile Harry had just given Lily appeared on his face again when he heard of Molly doing that, but this time Lily couldn't hold back all of her hurt for it. Still she managed to mask it well enough she was sure Harry wouldn't notice, no need to add more guilt to what he was already feeling. It was good if he'd really found, even mentally finishing it hurt to think, another mother.

**Pomfrey came over with a purple potion and a goblet ready, telling Harry he needed to drink the lot,**

"You know it's a big deal when she's calling you by your first name," Remus sighed.

**it's a dreamless potion.**

Harry wished that his night was over now, that he could simply down the whole lot and not have to think again, that the book would just end there...but Harry's life had never been that simple. Still, somehow, something else was going to happen to him this night.

**Harry only got a mouthful down before he sunk into the mattress though.**

Lily felt herself sighing in relief that he'd finally been allowed this, but all the more confused this didn't seem over for now. What else could be happening to him, but surely for him to be waking up and spending some peaceful times with Ron and Hermione as a nice distraction?

**He woke, what felt like moments later, and wanted nothing more than to go back to his sleep.**

James was beyond frustrated that he was getting jittery all over again, but he couldn't help it. What on earth could be waking him already, surely nothing worse could be happening!

**Then he heard those around him whispering about how they were going to wake him up.**

"Clearly you're the ones who woke him," Remus said a little snidely, but he couldn't help it, he didn't want to hear any more bad news for the rest of his life.

**Harry forced his eyes open to see everyone glaring at the door, where Molly was whispering about how that was Fudge and Mcgonagall shouting enough to wake the whole castle.**

"Apparently Fudge didn't like whatever he heard from Jr.," James felt his lip curling in agitation, now realizing he wouldn't have to wait long to see what that pompous minister's opinion on all of this was. Still none of this felt important enough to be disturbing Harry now!

**Harry could hear them to, Fudge shouting about how regrettable it was- while McGonagall cut him off it was his own fault for bringing it into the castle!**

"It?" They all parroted in surprise, what was McGonagall on about?

**Fudge came storming in then, McGonagall and Snape on his heels as he demanded where Dumbledore was!**

"Not in there you dingbat!" Sirius snapped at once, this man just knew no bounds! What was his right to constantly come barging in there whenever he pleased.

**Mrs. Weasley snapped at once, not here!**

**That moment though, Dumbledore did come in as well, demanding to know why this room was being disturbed, and why McGonagall wasn't guarding Crouch?**

**McGonagall burst into speech at once, saying there was nothing left to guard!**

**Harry had never seen her so angry, her face was all red and her hands were shaking she was trembling with fury.**

"What, did he do?" Remus asked slowly. Nobody in here really liked the Minister, he seemed far too concerned with himself and his image as far as they could tell, but this was really starting to give them all a nervous tick. McGonagall would never be acting like this if something really bad hadn't happened, and they'd thought they'd had their quota of their lifetime of that.

**Snape continued for her, saying when they'd explained the situation Fudge had wanted to see Crouch, but he'd seemed to feel he needed protection, so he'd summoned a dementor to come along.**

"He did what!?" Lily blanched in outrage.

"How dare he have that thing past the gate," James snarled. "He's no right, and he didn't even do that last year when Sirius was there, they still left those bleeding things out of the school!"

"Maybe that's his point," Sirius mumbled, "after what I did last year-" he finished with a wince, but it was obvious where that was leading.

"Still, McGonagall never would have allowed Jr. to be-" Remus cut himself off with a terrible wince, he couldn't even get the word out. "He's too important, he needs to testify to all that he knows so that the proper measures can be put back in place with Voldemort's return."

"I'm sure Mcgonagall wouldn't be shouting about this if she'd had any say in what happened," Lily whispered as she forced herself back to the book...how did this still keep getting worse?

**McGonagall cut in by swearing she'd told him not to, that Dumbledore wouldn't have it- but Fudge cut her off saying he had his rights, it was his decision as Minister to decide what protection he needed while facing a dangerous criminal!**

"He still should have had the headmaster's permission," Remus hissed under his breath, he wasn't letting that one go. They'd disliked Fudge before, but this was a new level on his part!

**But Professor McGonagall's voice drowned Fudge's.**

"She's been known to do that," James nodded absently.

**Saying the moment that thing had entered the room the dementor had swooped in on Crouch and- she couldn't finish, and no one needed her to.**

Sirius couldn't stop himself gluming to Remus, to any shot of warmth he could find. He never wanted to hear that again, it turned him into such a mess imagining for even a second that being his fate!

Remus was quick to reassure, promising they'd never let that happen to Sirius, but it was hardly being made better Sirius was in that very room.

It wasn't a kind distraction, but still Lily couldn't stop herself asking, "why would it attack him at all? The dementors had no idea he was an escaped criminal."

"He wasn't around Jr. long," James grudgingly told, his hatred for those pestilences bleeding into his every word, "but even being around you for a brief time a dementor can begin to learn to sense you. It knew he shouldn't be alive, it was confident it had buried him, so it went with its basic understanding he was dead enough to-" his voice failed him in disgust.

"No," Remus reminded as he kept a very close eye on Sirius to make sure he'd keep breathing normally while he ignored them talking about this, "if he'd been around long enough for the dementors to get a sense of him, they'd have noticed his escape when Crouch got him out disguised. It may in fact be something as simple as Fudge telling it to do so when he first spotted him and recognized him."

"No, McGonagall clearly said it swooped in and did it, not waited for an order," Lily reminded.

James rubbed furiously at his brow as he realized the two really might have an actual conversation over this if he let them, so his tone came out more snappish than he meant to, "well until you get the privilege of interrogating a dementor and asking it, I'm going with the assumption they just like doing that to whomever they can get away with, no one stopped it in time, and Fudge will proceed to cover it up! Can we move on."

Remus looked scolded enough, he'd thought Sirius had really been starting to come to grips with the fact they wouldn't let this happen to him, he hadn't even really done more than give a few violent shivers while they'd spoken which was progress, but still it was kinder to quit now since they didn't have a real answer. Lily didn't like to keep thinking about this, and decided she understood enough she wasn't going to keep asking.

**Fudge brushed that off, saying it was no loss, he'd been responsible for several deaths now.**

**Dumbledore was frowning at Fudge in a whole new way as he told that now he could not give his testimony.**

"I know I'll never forgive him for this one," James viciously agreed.

**Fudge blustered what testimony was needed? He was a lunatic, he'd been under the impression he was working for You-Know-Who!**

**Dumbledore said at once that was no delusion, Voldemort had returned and been giving orders for quite some time.**

**Fudge looked as though someone had just swung a heavy weight into his face.**

"Well it's never exactly pleasant to hear," Lily groaned, but she was already sick of having to hear this all _again._ Dumbledore needed to excuse this man already, escort him out and let Harry go back to his much needed sleep. There was no reason for this all to be happening in front of him!

**He called this preposterous,**

"Oh how I wish I could deny it," Sirius muttered, his eyes still hadn't come back to this world yet.

**but Dumbledore gave every instance of people who knew this to be true, all the evidence leading back to him.**

**Fudge got a funny smile on his face by the end,**

"A smile?" Remus cocked his head to the side in confusion. He'd heard of some odd reactions to people being told of what all Voldemort had done, but this wasn't one of them.

**asking if Dumbledore was being serious?**

"Oi! Quit dragging my name into this already," Sirius muttered obstinately.

Remus was just so relieved Sirius was forcing himself to act normally he didn't even smack him for it.

**Dumbledore couldn't really be taking the word of a lunatic saying he'd been under You-Know-Who's orders.**

"Well who else's orders would he be under?" James scoffed in disbelief. "It certainly wasn't his own master plan. He'd still be under the Imperius curse."

"I think I'd pity him wanting to try and pretend this didn't happen if I didn't already want to crack him over the head," Remus shook his head in disgust.

"Besides, he said it all under Veritaserum, and Jr. hadn't seen it coming." Lily agreed. "He had no way to mentally prepare himself, he'd been knocked unconscious the whole time, so not one bit of it could be recounted as a lie."

"Wish Fudge had just been there when it happened now," Sirius sighed, "I want to skip all this and go straight to the part where they all come up with a brilliant plan to get rid of Voldemort this time."

Harry was watching them all with a look they didn't understand, was that a bit of pity? What on earth were they missing?

**Dumbledore held no room for argument as he said he would explain this all in his office,**

"About time," Lily rolled her eyes.

**but Fudge threw a curious look at Harry as he wanted to know if he believed Harry?**

"Why wouldn't he?" James began dangerously, hints of a growl beginning to appear in his voice again.

**There was a moment's silence, which was broken by Sirius growling. His hackles were raised, and he was baring his teeth at Fudge.**

"There's good old Padfoot," James murmured to himself, appreciating more every moment that if he couldn't be there for Harry, he certainly had the best substitute in the world.

 **Dumbledore** **had no doubt in his voice that he believed Harry's every word.**

**Fudge still had that strange smile as he looked at Harry and away again,**

Lily's voice was beginning to sound quite menacing as she cotnineud, those continuus looks at her son were not leading to anything good, but this made no sense. Fudge had been shown since the very beginning that he liked sucking up to Harry. Why would he chose now, at such a crucial moment, to do the opposite? What was he playing at here?

**as he kept saying all they had for proof was the word of a madman, and well...**

**Harry finally understood what that look meant.**

"What?" Remus spat in disgust. He refused to even pretend to understand what Fudge was implying until he came right out and said it, what was his problem with Harry! Was he so ludicrously keeping his head buried in the sand in fear he wasn't going to see what was going on until Voldemort popped up in front of him? No one could be that daft!

**Demanding if Fudge had been reading Skeeters articles?**

**Everyone around his bed jumped, they hadn't realized he was awake.**

"Can't exactly blame them," Harry muttered with a twisted little smile, "Fudge was doing quite a show acting like an idiot." Harry had no delusions from the very beginning he did not like this Minister, and now he completely understood why. He'd forgiven Mrs. Weasley for believing all of those terrible things Skeeter had written about him because she'd never treated him the worse because of it. She clearly still cared about him, despite all the bad such as the Parselmouth and the mad spells everyone now thought he had, she'd never even mentioned that. She'd only ever been angry with Hermione because she'd thought she'd done Harry wrong. This though, this was leading somewhere Harry had no doubts was going to be unpleasant.

**Fudge did not back down, pointing out Dumbledore had been hiding a lot of funny things. A Parselmouth? Having those funny turns-**

"That's none of his bleeding business!" James voice cracked he was so sick of yelling that! He couldn't deny he wasn't pleased when he'd found out, but that had never stopped him from thinking of Harry as a different person for even a second! What was wrong with people that they automatically kept looking down on anything even slightly different?!

 **Dumbledore** **coolly responded that those 'turns' were** **referring to his scar in pain.**

**Fudge jumped on this as an admittance, those headaches and hallucinations.**

Harry couldn't decide if he was more affronted at being looked at like a madman, or outraged the Minister really wasn't believing this! Both were muted by his own wondering of just how bad this was going to get. He knew those around him believed him, because they'd lived through it with him. He knew his friends believed him because...well because even at their worst they'd never really turned away from him. Ron's actions during this year had hurt, but it had been made clear that he actually had believed Harry hadn't done this, he'd simply let his jealousy go a step too far. Harry had forgiven him for that, and he had no doubts Ron wouldn't let him down again.

**Dumbledore took a step forward then, and though it was not threatening, Fudge took a step back from that same aura Dumbledore was giving off in the same way he had interrogating Crouch.**

The first time this had happened Harry thought it was anger as Dumbledore put together something had happened to his long standing friend. Now Harry was unimaginably touched by realizing Dumbledore was defending him in this way.

**Dumbledore stated Harry was in no way unstable, it was merely a painful byproduct of when Voldemort was near.**

"Not something I'd have gone around sharing though," Lily sighed.

**Fudge had taken a step back from Dumbledore no less, saying he wasn't going to trust something he'd never heard of, like a cursed scar alarm bell.**

"No one has," Remus blustered, "are you really so idiotic to realize that there are things you don't understand yet just because they haven't happened before."

**Harry snapped, shouting he'd seen Voldemort come back while trying to get to his feet, but Mrs. Weasley stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.**

"I kind of wanted to see what you'd do," Sirius snarled.

"Standing up made me look a bit more like I knew what I was talking about than lying down," Harry shrugged, "but I'm glad Mrs. Weasley stopped me, I definitely hadn't rested long enough to look anywhere near intimidating."

**Harry took no notice even if he didn't get up, shouting that he'd seen it all, plus the names of the Death Eaters, like Lucius Malfoy.**

**Snape made a movement, but by the time everyone looked, Snape's eyes only flashed and he seemed to have done nothing.**

"Probably trying to cover his own damned Dark Mark," Sirius sneered. He didn't care if he'd never been given his proof Snape was part of that inner circle, he had more than enough evidence to convince himself.

**Fudge snapped back Malfoy had been cleared, he was a good family who made donations all the time.**

"His money doesn't make it not true!" Remus howled in outrage.

**Harry continued as if he hadn't heard, shouting Macnair- while Fudge snapped back he was also cleared and working for the Ministry.**

"That wasn't encouraging one little bit," James snapped.

 **Still Harry kept going with the list of names, but Fudge shouted** **back those were all cleared years ago!**

"Then relook into them you-" Lily only cut herself off from calling him several potent things with the last bit of restraint she had, yelling at a man who wasn't here wasn't actually doing her any good, nor making her feel remotely better. Dumbledore just had to be able to say something to make Fudge see sense!

**Fudge snarled back that he could have found all those names in files, then he turned on Dumbledore and reminded he'd had just as tall a tale last year, and Dumbledore was still foolish enough to keep eating them!**

"Hey!" They all hooted at that one. Dragging Sirius' name into this now felt like the lowest of blows, and he didn't even realize it!

**The boy could talk to snakes, he wasn't trustworthy!**

"Oi!" They repeated, somehow even more outraged than before! Even when Fudge admitted to what a fool he was being, there was no coming back from an insult like that, Fudge was dead to them.

**McGonagall called him a fool, Diggory and Crouch's deaths were not random works!**

"Crouch's kid didn't even kill Cedric!" Harry yelled loudest of all over the continued mutterings of outrage. "How on earth, he came out of the maze with me, he saw him! There's no way they could be pinning that on anyone else, it's not right to Cedric!"

"I know love," Lily promised. "We know that. He'll have to pull his head out of his arse soon enough, there's no way he can keep up this farce."

Harry sadly disagreed, he had a bad feeling this would last for quite some time.

**Fudge shouted back there was no evidence, he wasn't going to destabilize their life for nothing!**

"Voldemort's going to do that in a heartbeat, it's your duty to warn people!" James was starting to tremble in outrage, completely forgetting that he was taxed for the day on all of these frustrated feelings. This was a wholly new and terrible thing to be happening so soon after the last, but he'd never believed anyone could act like this while dragging Harry's name around through it!

**Harry couldn't believe what he was seeing. He'd always seen Fudge as a kindly man,**

"It's truly sick to have to switch perspectives on someone," Lily hissed in agreement.

**but now he was watching someone point blank refuse this.**

"Never, just never would have-" Remus couldn't get out the full realm of how unbelievable this was.

**Dumbledore repeated that Voldemort had returned, and if they began at once, this could still be saved. First, they had to remove the dementors from Azkaban.**

"Bleeding wish that had been done years ago," James snarled, now more sure than ever his life goal would be to eradicate those blights from existence however possible. He couldn't stand watching his brother pale at the mention of them.

**Fudge cried he'd be kicked out of office for suggesting it!**

"And good riddance!" Sirius barked.

**Half of their people only slept at night because those dementors were guarding that prison!**

"And the rest of us can't believe that's your only line of defense against them!" Lily snarled. Even before she'd learned of what they had done to Sirius, she'd never felt truly comfortable with the idea of such dark creatures being considered anything good.

**Dumbledore returned the rest of them couldn't sleep a wink knowing the creatures at Voldemort's beck and call were guarding his most loyal servants.**

"That's already been proven true," Remus sighed. "The only reason there are still those at the prison now, is because we're forcing them to be there, and that won't last much longer."

**Dumbledore tried to explain that they would not remain loyal to the Ministry once Voldemort offered them free reign, but Fudge only mouthed wordlessly.**

"Now he knows how we feel about his idiocies," Sirius snapped.

**Dumbledore continued that the next step was to send envoys to the giants.**

"If there's even any left, that's always a fair idea," Remus sighed in agreement for that. Dumbledore hadn't much luck with that in this time, but perhaps maybe he'd have a better shot trying again.

**Fudge shrieked this was madness!**

"I'm not surprised he considers these logics as madness with so little brains he has," Lily said in an almost honeyed tone.

 **Dumbledore** **was insistent, extend the hand of friendship now before Voldemort offered them more.**

**Fudge gasped this could not be serious!**

"That's another thing," Sirius nodded at once. "Clear my name already, I've clearly nothing to do with Voldemort's side even if I wouldn't have anything to do with your useless side either." He finished with a contemplative look on his face before finishing, "Harry has his own side now, that's where I stand."

Harry didn't have to force a laugh, he always somehow felt better watching his godfather use any excuse to use that word in relation to his name, and the others actually agreed with him so much no one even groaned at the name pun.

**The magical community would laugh him out of office for suggesting such a thing, everyone hated giants!**

"Or, you know, they'd actually be thanking you for doing all of this first before giving Voldemort the chance," Remus shot back with the tone of knowing he was talking to an idiot.

"Not everyone's a bigoted idiot like he is," James agreed. "In fact, let's just have Dumbledore be minister already. He'd clearly be getting all of this done, McGonagall could be headmaster, everything feels like it'd be going better."

"I'll vote for him," Lily agreed with a heavy sigh, she just wanted to be done with this already. None of it ever seemed to be getting better.

**Dumbledore's eyes were blazing as he looked down on Fudge, telling him his love for his office was blinding him.**

"And he's not even good at the position," Sirius sneered, thinking back to that first book and the time Hagrid had mentioned how this Fudge guy had been begging for Dumbledore's advice all along anyways. Now that Dumbledore was truly giving it, the moron couldn't be bothered to listen!

**If he did not act now he would go down in history as the Minister who let Voldemort rule again.**

Harry felt a bit of triumphant pleasure at the end of this, he'd hated Fudge, and already could feel his feelings towards the Ministry would only grow worse. Fudge would get his comeuppance for his actions this night and the following ones until Harry's truth came out, and Dumbledore's prophecy of Fudge's legacy would speak true.

**Fudge could not seem to come up with a proper response to that as Dumbledore concluded that if Fudge refused to act with them, then Dumbledore would just have to continue as he saw fit.**

"So Dumbledore's just going to have to run the whole war," James looked suddenly faint as he realized what all this meant. "Merlin, we're barely holding our own with them on our side, now the Order's going to be the only ones pushing back!"

"We'll be doomed in a month." Sirius agreed as he slumped back into his seat, burying his face in his hands as he really seemed to be done already. He was just going to live the rest of his life as Padfoot and live at Harry's side, that felt the only reasonable thing he'd heard lately.

Lily and Remus exchanged a look, but neither could think of a thing to say to cheer them up. This prospect that had already looked so bleak was beginning to feel like a black hole.

**Dumbledore had not implied it as a threat, but Fudge bristled all the same as if a wand had been pulled.**

"No, then he'd really be in trouble," Remus snorted.

**Fudge gestured wildly that he wouldn't stand for this! He'd always been on Dumbledore's side, letting him have free reign of this school when others would not have let him hire werewolves**

"Let him!" Lily shrieked in outrage over James and Sirius' outraged snarl at that. "It's Dumbledore's decision who he hires at that school, the Ministry has no say in that!"

"No one even knew about Moony or Hagrid until after the fact," James agreed with pure violence, "why is everyone acting like they'd be tearing the school apart!"

**or keep Hagrid,**

"Keep him?" Harry ground out, sounding far more angry than he even had while speaking of the minister. "Hagrid's a person, Hogwarts is his home! Where the bloody hell does Fudge think he could send him?"

Lily felt some small mother part of her spike as she wanted to tell off Harry for cursing like that, but it was for such a good reason as she'd wanted to say far worse, she held her tongue and instead reassured, "well it's not his decision. Hagrid won't be going anywhere he doesn't want to, Dumbledore would never allow that."

**but if Dumbledore worked against him-**

**Dumbledore** **simply cut him off saying the only one he was against was Lord Voldemort.**

"Why does Dumbledore use the title?" Remus sighed just to at least partly change the subject. He was far too used to hearing these prejudices to let them hit him as hard. "I'd much rather hear an explanation why he goes by Lord at all, or just keep calling him Riddle."

Sirius knew exactly what Remus was doing, they were still going to have a good gripe at him any day now about their insistence when they left here he should get his butt up to the castle and get that DADA job for himself and his trying to avoid topics every time this came up wasn't the least bit subtle, but still Sirius laughed along and didn't deny he agreed with that particular bit.

**If they both stood on that side, then all would be the same.**

**Fudge had no response to this.**

"I'm sure he just doesn't have the brain cells for any more useless remarks," Lily told.

**He paused for a moment, his voice coming out more of a plea as he told Dumbledore he just couldn't be back!**

"Hu, an ultimatum threat seemed to have gotten through to him." James cocked his head to the side as he concluded, "good note for future notice."

**Snape moved past Dumbledore, and removed his sleeve to show his Dark Mark.**

"Sometimes I hate being right," Sirius sighed deeply while all around no one could marshal up too much shock they'd been right, Snape was at the top with Karkaroff.

Lily was the only one who really registered that he hadn't shown up that night, he hadn't been there to witness what was happening to Harry, he hadn't returned to Voldemort's side. She couldn't imagine why, only those who had proved themselves the most loyal made it to the Mark she was sure, so what had changed to make Snape not go back. What on earth did Dumbledore know about Snape that had him employed in that school? The answers had to be one in the same, and she desperately wished she knew. If she could still find that one piece that had Dumbledore beliving Snape was safe, then perhaps even now she could stop Severus from being led up this chain.

**Saying every Death Eater had one, and it had burned brighter this night than since Voldemort's return.**

"Surely not every Death Eater has one," Remus said in confusion. "Otherwise we'd have spotted them long ago." They'd all been going under the impression this was only for Voldemort's top ranks, but if this were true anyone who claimed to be on Voldemort's side could possibly have this brand and they'd just never noticed it.

"Maybe they have some way to hide them?" Sirius offered, "can only be seen by other Death Eaters, or they always manage to put concealment charms on them before they're caught?"

"No," James reminded with a small frown, "otherwise you would think Karkaroff would have told about them as some sort of proof, he was getting himself out by giving up valuable information, this is up there."

"Karkaroff would have had to show his own then," Lily reminded, "and if he was trying to prove he wasn't on that side anymore, well that doesn't seem like a removable type thing. I'll honestly bet he never would have mentioned it more from shame on his part."

They really had no idea, as they'd never encountered one in their life.

**Karkaroff had felt his return and instead fled.**

**Fudge took a step back from Snape as well, it was as if he hadn't even spoken.**

"I'm confident he can't process anything that isn't 'sign here,'" Lily snapped.

**Then he turned back on Dumbledore and whispered he had no idea what sick joke he and his staff were playing, but he'd had enough!**

"So have I," they all muttered, they'd be happy if they never had to hear a word from this fool again except his resignation.

**This school would be hearing from the Ministry about how this place was run!**

"I'm sure that'll be a very one sided conversation," James rolled his eyes, still unconvinced Fudge could do no more than posture and threaten when it came to Hogwarts.

**He'd turned to go, then paused and strode back to Harry's bed, dumping his sack of one thousand Galleons prize money on his stand.**

"I honestly forgot about that bit," Harry sighed as he rubbed at his forehead. He was genuinely tempted to now ask his mum for one of those dreamless potions right now, he'd had more than enough memories sweeping through his mind today.

**Then he left without another word.**

**Dumbledore watched him leave before turning to them, asking first of Molly if he could count on her and Arthur?**

While Harry did manage a smile for that, he knew there was no family more trustworthy than the Weasley's, there was something that left him feeling on edge. Surely the family would come out whole though, no one else would have to die because of him?

**Mrs. Weasley agreed at once, saying the only thing that had ever held them back in the Ministry was Arthur's love for Muggles, Fudge would never look twice at him for his lack of wizarding pride.**

"Fudge can eat slugs as far as I'm concerned," Sirius snarled at once.

**Dumbledore nodded his agreement, saying he and everyone trustworthy had to be warned if this was how Fudge was going to act. Bill said he'd go at once and explain it to his father in person.** **He bid them all goodnight before leaving as well.**

**Dumbledore then turned to McGonagall and asked her to go fetch Maxime, if she would consent, and come to his office.**

"Looks like Dumbledore's following his own advice," Remus sighed, already sagging back into his seat in exhaustion. He had not a clue if Maxime would consent to go and do any such mission for Dumbledore, especially while she went around denying what she was, but they were all happy his first thought went to her rather than Hagrid. They'd rather keep him as close and safe around Harry as possible.

**When she left, he asked Pomfrey next to go and check on Winky.**

"It can't have been more than an hour since all this has happened, and that poor thing's still down there," Lily cooed in concern. Winky had done some pretty bad things in the name of her family, and while she hadn't contested any of it for her love of them, she still didn't think Winky should have been left to suffer like that after such a shock.

**She seemed surprised, but did as asked.**

**Dumbledore made sure the door was well closed before asking Sirius to resume his human form.**

"Is he mad!?" James yelped in concern! He'd been keeping a steady head count, and he'd heard no exit of Snape, or Molly for that matter. Sirius needed to stay right where he was!

"I think it's a good thing," Sirius had a slight grin on his face, "you said it yourself Prongs, the more people who know about me the better." Whether he hadn't been keeping track and realized Snape was still in the room, or he was just happy he'd be getting his opinion in again, Lily didn't bother asking him.

**The great black dog looked up at Dumbledore, then, in an instant, turned back into a man.**

**Mrs. Weasley screamed and leapt back from the bed.**

The smile dropped right from Sirius' face. There was something funny in there, he was sure he'd feel a laugh that he'd scared the dickens out of her at some point in his life, but now all he really felt for that reaction was sad. He'd never wanted his name to be so associated with anything as terrible as what he'd been framed for, and Molly's reaction was a hard blow.

The others all saw it, but they couldn't think of any way to comfort him, except for Remus to poke fun, "well she's already been the dramatic one, I don't think everyone's going to have such a vivid reaction to you mate."

"Yeah," Sirius muttered trying, and failing, to put a smile in place.

**She shrieked Sirius Black while pointing wildly at him and standing in front of her kid!**

"You think if my name had been Minor Brown people would cut me some slack," Sirius sighed.

"I know you'd still find a way to pun your name to death, so it's no real difference to me," James gave him an innocent enough smile.

**Ron snapped at her to shut it,**

"I'm sure Ron just loved the chance to tell his mother to shut up for once," Remus pointed out.

**he was fine!**

**Snape had not done anything, but the look of fury on his face wasn't hard to recognize.**

"Well that I get," Lily huffed, still feeling white hot anger over the last encounter between those two and Remus. The way that had gone down felt inexcusable to her.

**He demanded of Dumbledore what he was doing here, and Dumbledore looked between the two as he instructed Sirius was here at his invitation as well as Snape, it was time they lay aside their differences.**

James made a noise that was supposed to be a laugh, but it was too mocking, bitter, and twisted to really count. James was honestly faint at the idea the two hadn't already cursed each other yet.

**Harry thought Dumbledore was asking for a near miracle.**

"Hey look, Harry agrees," Remus shook his head in disbelief.

**When neither moved, Dumbledore made an impatient noise and said he would settle for now for a shake of hands to show good faith.**

"Well then we're all doomed," Sirius curled his lip in disgust at the idea of touching Snape, his hand would never get all the grease off.

**Very slowly, still glaring at each other as though each wished the other death-**

"That's exactly what they're doing," James rolled his eyes. Of all the people Dumbledore could have started this 'Sirius is innocent' crusade with people, this guy just had to be the first!

**They shook hands and let go extremely quickly.**

Sirius wretched at the thought and shook his hand in an overtly exaggerated disgust.

Lily was ignoring him, finding it childish even if she was more on Sirius' side than Snape's now.

**Dumbledore said he would take this for now, before turning to Sirius and telling him to start alerting those that could be trusted. Start with Remus Lupin,**

"Hey look, I'm still alive," Remus huffed under his breath.

Sirius just sighed, distracted at once from micro inspecting his hand to make sure it didn't have residue from just the thought, to watch balefully at Remus. He had no comfort for the mess of his future, making him feel all the more awful considering everything his friends had done for him at every turn.

**Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher,**

"No offense to Dumbledore," James arched a brow at these instructions, "but is Sirius the best man to be doing that? I'd think he's much better off sticking around Hogwarts around Harry, considering we still don't know the count of how many people won't curse him on sight."

"Maybe Dumbledore has been telling people," Remus said hopefully, "we know both of those names as Order members now, perhaps Dumbledore has been planning for a return for some time and keeping them all in the loop of everything he's been suspecting this year."

It was certainly a nice thought, one they all hoped for as James hadn't meant that in any way as a joke. The more people who knew the truth about Sirius, the better.

**any of the old trusted, and then to lie low at Lupin's until Dumbledore made further contact.**

Remus was honestly just surprised he had a place to be laying low at, considering the past few days he'd been thinking of himself in a ditch with his useless self lately, but at this rate he was convinced nothing of what he'd been doing would ever be explained, and everybody in here was mostly avoiding the subject all together as well, so he wasn't going to be the one to bring it up.

**Harry tried to protest as he watched his godfather, he didn't want to say goodbye again.**

Sirius sighed as he caught Harry's eye, but he tried to explain for him, "you know I'd love nothing more than to stay by your side, but time really is of the essence here. I'm positive I'll see you again that summer." He held a dangerous glint in his eyes as he said that, thinking more than Ripper having a chunk out of Vernon was long overdue.

Harry still didn't agree, he wanted Sirius to be with him at all times, he felt safer with his godfather there, but recognized forcing him just to stay there for just another week and then purposely trying to avoid him being at the Dursley's made no sense.

**Sirius promised he'd see Harry again though, and waited for his nod before changing back to a dog and leaving.**

Still Harry couldn't erase a deep sense of pain forcing his heart to start beating extra hard. He just knew the next time he saw Sirius wasn't going to be that good of a thing.

**Finally, Dumbledore turned to Snape, and asked if he was ready?**

**Snape said he was at once.**

"Well that was as vague as it could be," James grumped, not at all caring what he was getting up to one bit, he was still far more concerned with the lifes his friends were going to be leading without him.

Lily certainly was plenty distracted though, what was Severus supposedly preparing to do? It lingered in her mind, an idea...was that why Dumbledore trusted Snape? It still didn't really make full sense, she still had a lot of questions about what all he'd been up to, but if Dumbledore really knew something, and that's why he trusted him, this could be good! She didn't say any of that, and no matter Severus' loyalties he'd still been a royal ass to her son and every child again and again without good reason, but if he really hadn't completely become all that she'd thought...

**He looked a bit paler but did not question what Dumbledore's nod meant as he left as well right after Sirius.**

"Hopefully not in the same direction, otherwise you really are going to need some Marauder back up," Remus shook his head.

**Dumbledore gave a deep sigh before explaining he had to leave again, he had a meeting with the Diggory's,**

Harry still felt a chill he couldn't escape, he just knew Dumbledore was going to have a conversation that should never exist, and still Harry could feel his headmaster's wasn't the only one who'd be seeing them.

**and promised to visit Harry later. Harry slumped back into his pillow, but none of them spoke.**

"Really can't imagine what to say in a moment like that," Lily whispered in agreement.

"Really, we've seemed to say plenty," Sirius got out with an honest attempt at his sarcastic voice.

**Mrs. Weasley was the first to start, saying she wanted Harry to get the rest of his sleep while moving for his leftover potion. Her hand nudged the gold as she reached for the goblet.**

"Hopefully that's a foreshadow of something," James sighed, he knew how it could feel to want to offer up something he knew the other wouldn't take, but it didn't mean you had to stop trying.

**She tried to get him to think of something happy as she poured it for him, like what he'd spend his winnings on.**

"Nothing I couldn't buy before them," Harry whispered to himself. He'd never felt he deserved anything less.

Remus offered jokingly, "you could always make some donations to Fudge, buy him out. Actually I vote you pay him to leave office."

"I can think of other ways to get him out of office for free," Sirius corrected with an ugly sneer.

**Harry said at once he didn't want it, that should have been Cedric's!**

"Oh Harry," Lily groaned, "please love, tell me you're not blaming yourself for this."

Harry said nothing, he couldn't think of anything to say. He could already feel the months of his life weighing on him already, of every single way he'd desperately tried to come up with some alternative way where Cedric wouldn't have died, and all of them circled back to Harry should never have let him take that cup. He should have seen it coming, he should have known something was going wrong, he should have...but that was him at fourteen and fifteen, when he'd had no one to tell him otherwise. Now, now Sirius' words still echoed in his head from last year, about how he shouldn't blame himself for everything Pettigrew did, and Sirius had managed to get through to him with that. So now, though he still felt the loss of Cedric's death, there wasn't that guilt eating him alive from back when he'd first laid eyes on the body. He tried to explain this, it got pretty jumbled with his recurring mind returning and how he was trying to keep himself distant from that mindset, it was less painful.

He must have gotten some of it through, if Sirius' proud smirk was any indication, and his mother stopped watching with those eyes.

**That feeling that had been burning the corner of his eyes all night was suddenly stronger than ever, and he quickly looked to the ceiling.**

James kept a careful eye on Harry, he didn't want to crowd and hover over him, but he'd do anything for Harry to know he'd never think less of him for something like that. His son wasn't looking at anyone, but didn't looked ashamed either, just more like he was praying the subject could be changed already and James could get that.

**Mrs. Weasley saw at once, and promised Harry it wasn't his fault.**

**Harry whispered he'd told Cedric to take that cup with him, all while his throat was burning hot, he wished Ron would look away.**

Remus all too well remembered that feeling, his friends used to look at him like that the first few times he'd woken up from a transformation. No one wanted to feel vulnerable in front of their friends.

**Molly set the potion back down, and scooped Harry up into a hug. Harry had no memory of anybody ever holding him like this, like a mother would.**

Harry tightened his hold around his mother now. He may have memories of this now, in this room, but before that night, well he'd been experiencing a lot of things for the first time. True pain wasn't just one of them.

Lily still felt like there was a deep hole trying to swallow her dry every time she was forced to hear something like that. There was just no way that could ever feel better, even if Petunia hadn't been the worst excuse for a person in the world, and her son had been treated right all these years, her name not being there would never not hurt.

**Everything began swirling in him at once, every emotion he'd felt over the course of the night howling to get out while she shared his pain.**

The worst part of hearing this, the very worst feeling in the world, was that Harry was still only fourteen in all of this. At that age James was learning to become an animagus to help his friend, he was running the Forbidden Forest, seeing how far he could push a teacher this week, he was having fun and the time of his life and making students laugh while the world outside was dropping bodies. James had chosen to be in this fight when he'd left school, when he'd had to grow up and realize laughing wasn't going to make everything better. He'd still had his childhood to learn that though. Where was that for his son?

**Then there was a slam, and the two broke apart in surprise to see Hermione standing by the window looking sheepish while she hid something behind her back.**

Sirius gave a soft laugh, the joke slipping out of his mouth, "guess Hermione got jealous, she thought she was the only one who could mother you."

It actually worked, Harry could see right through that sarcasm for the joke it was, and felt the smallest bit better for just that moment watching his happy go lucky godfather crack a joke before the shadow of Azkaban ate him.

**She whispered sorry, while Mrs. Weasley brushed that off and wiped furiously at her eyes and told Harry to get drinking that potion.**

If it was unofficial before, Remus would have normally bust a gut laughing now that Harry was adopted by the Weasley mother. It was just too depressing watching Lily force this out to really catch that humor, he'd find his moment to tease later. Unlike Sirius, he didn't always think throwing out every bit of humor that came to mind and hoping they all worked was a good plan.

**Harry finished it this time, and the effect was instantaneous as he sunk back down into his dreamless sleep and thought no more.**

"That's over," Lily whispered as she passed the book to James. There really couldn't be anything worse left, right?

* * *

 ***** Theory offered by Belial666, thanks!


	39. THE BEGINNING

Happy New Years!

To Guest: I always appreciate constructive criticism! Sadly I can't help it, I really do over analyze everything and I'm sorry if it did bore you, but I hope you are enjoying the other parts where I do try my very best to make this as emotionally real as possible!

To, other Guest: I'd always planned on an AU after this reading series to answer all of those questions, and the reason Harry's there will be in the last chapter of the last book, hope you can hold on until then.

* * *

James sat there for a long time just staring at those stupid pages. He knew the sooner he got started the sooner he'd have his chapter over with, there really couldn't be that much left, it was just so hard to force anymore out. Because even with the end in sight, Harry being forced back to the Dursleys _again_ somehow felt worse every single time!

Harry wasn't looking any more eager to hear anymore. Those feelings were still washing through him, the guilt and memories still filling his every space of mind, yet himself now trying to force an understanding this wasn't truly his fault. All he could think to do, was just keep looking for something else to think about, and cope with this in his own time slowly like he'd been doing. So it was Harry who gave his dad a gentle nudge and asked him to get on with it, least they had Sirius' crappy sense of humor to distract them.

James actually gave a genuine laugh as Sirius pouted at the pair of them for his expense in the joke while James got started.

**When he looked back, even a month later, Harry only had scattered memories of the next few days.**

Harry could feel himself grimacing already of thinking of his summer, but even a cursory look at what he could be in store for felt heavy hearted.

**It was as though he had been through too much to take in any more.**

Lily squeezed her eyes tight shut to force herself not to lean over Harry, to check for the millionth time that he was still okay right now.

**The worst, was the meeting with the Diggory's.**

"Oh crap," Sirius muttered to himself, knowing there wasn't anything he could say to make this more bearable before it even started. Harry was already getting that absent look back about him, his way so far of trying not to react to the worse things from his past.

**They didn't blame him for what happened, the opposite, both thanked him for returning Cedric's body to them.**

Lily couldn't stop herself absently brushing at his hair in thanks as well, she felt that went without saying, but Harry seemed surprised by the reaction.

**Mr. Diggory sobbed through most of the interview. Mrs. Diggory's grief seemed to be beyond tears.**

James hated having to read that, to even think for an instant what that pain had to feel like. Of everything Peter had done to him, and his family, and still he just kept doing it without a trace of remorse...

**She was the one to point out that he suffered nothing because of the curse that was used, and he'd died just after he won, so at least he was happy.**

Remus knew he couldn't begin to imagine the pain the Diggory's were in, but if that made them feel even the smallest bit better, he wasn't going to correct that.

**When they made to leave, Harry tried to shove his winnings at them, but they refused.**

Harry really was just trying to give that money away to anyone, James sighed in full agreement, he really hoped Harry still found some way to give it to someone who needed it, just to help ease his sons conscious a bit.

**Harry went back to the rest of the school finding himself being stared at now more than ever. No one badgered him with questions upon Dumbledore's request,**

While they'd all firmly believed Harry's friends wouldn't do that until he spoke about it first, they were honestly relieved Dumbledore had thought to do that. They didn't trust the student body to have the same restrain, but hopefully with Dumbledore's warning they'd hold back at least a bit.

**but instead they skirted corridors and whispered as he passed.**

That wasn't what they were hoping for though, as Sirius curled his lip in disdain at that place again treating Harry like some sideshow to be gawked at.

**He supposed they all still had Skeeter's stories of him in the brain, and were all guessing their own ideas of what happened, but Harry didn't care. He knew the truth, and he instead spent his time with Ron and Hermione, often in silence.**

Remus hummed in agreement, he'd never needed proof their guess was right, and Ron and Hermione for all of their loud mouthed opinions and arguments, truly were the type to recognize when their friend needed his silence.

**They hadn't spoken about it yet either, but all seemed to be waiting for something to get started, it was useless to speculate until then.**

"Wonder how long that one lasts," Sirius rolled his eyes. He knew they used to spend hours trying to guess what was going on in the war, often greatly exaggerated and glorified in their youth, but once the shock of what had happened wore off, those teenagers would surely start doing the same.

**The only time they had spoken of their future was when Ron told Harry Mrs. Weasley had tried to convince Dumbledore to come straight to their house over the summer.**

Before Lily could even begin to let the hope seep in, James forced himself to keep going past his own to find out the response.

**He'd said no, Harry had to stay there at least at first.**

James could not get that out properly, it was too frustrating this continued to happen! He despised the meager explanation Harry had used for why that place should even still be referred to as Harry's home, because the fact that he dreaded going there more than any other place really should negate that stupid technicality!

Harry had an ugly look in place as well. He'd never liked the thought of going back to the Dursleys, but for some reason he was confident this coming summer in particular was going to be an extra layer of unpleasant, and he hadn't previously thought that possible.

**Harry asked why, and all Dumbledore had said was that he had his reasons and they just had to trust him.**

"No, no we do not," Sirius sneered. "I can't believe I'm standing letting you go back, where the hell was I when this stupid decision was made!"

Harry chose not to respond for the simple fact that he knew he'd never told his godfather a single thing about his living with the Dursleys. Only a few vague comments here and there, so really Sirius wouldn't have had a reason to complain in his time even if he had been there to say anything.

They all knew that answer, hiding out at Remus' and still not having any say in the matter, but that was still managing to make this whole situation even worse.

**The only person apart from Ron and Hermione that Harry felt able to talk to was Hagrid.**

"I still want to strangle him for those bleeding skrewts of his," James shook his head affectionately.

"Hopefully he's learned his lesson," the smile Sirius used showed quite clearly how much he believed that.

**There was no longer a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, they had those lessons free,**

"Why is that a recurring thing," Lily rolled her eyes.

"Because apparently even the Curse Breakers can be stumped," Remus shrugged, regretting his response at once as it only served to cause the others to give him an obvious look, they all knew he could have broken it if he wanted to.

**and they used the available time to go visiting him. The first time started pleasantly enough, the weather as beautiful as ever for this time of year and Hagrid greeting them just as sunnily.**

**When they entered they found two cups already in waiting, and Hagrid explained he'd been having a drink with Olympe, she'd only just left.**

"Did we miss something?" Sirius asked with just a bit too much gusto, but here was finally something hours later that wasn't life threatening or horrible to hear about! Just hearing any normal conversation with Hagrid was putting Sirius in the best mood he'd had since the World Cup.

They all had an idea of who it could be, but as they had no clue why Hagrid would be talking to her again, they waited for an answer.

**When Ron asked who, Hagrid told that was Maxime's first name.**

"Oooh, on a first name basis now are they?" James had a smile peaking on his face at once.

"Why though?" Lily felt a protective surge poses her at Hagrid having to deal with all the drama that woman had caused again. "We clearly missed a conversation where they made up, and until we hear Hermione's theory otherwise, the only way Skeeter could have known about Hagrid was if Maxime told her. Surely Hagrid knows that."

"Hopefully Ron will ask," Harry shrugged, he certainly hoped so as he was sure he found out how Skeeter knew all of this stuff before he met back up with the Dursleys, and he didn't feel Maxime was anywhere close to the answer mostly because he didn't have any bad feelings for her, and he was sure he would if she had.

**Ron pointed out the two had made up then, and Hagrid ignored the comment,**

"The master of subtlety as always," Sirius smirked.

**and instead made them some more tea and doughy cookies.**

"Doughy's better than burnt," Remus snorted, "maybe Hagrid's learning."

"So long as there isn't a talon in that to," Lily muttered.

**When they'd all sat down, his kind eyes lingered on Harry and asked if he was alright?**

**Harry just said yeah.**

"Why do you do that?" James grumped, "you can talk to Hagrid." Ignoring the painful stab still lingering that Harry was probably more likely to talk to Hagrid than him.

"Didn't really know what to say," Harry whispered, and that was still true enough. He didn't want to relive what had happened to him yet, and he certainly didn't want to accept comfort and understanding that none of it was his fault because he still hadn't agreed. That simple answer was the best way for him to get around all of that.

The four of them still gave him an obvious look, making it obvious they believed that as much as Hagrid most likely did, but they weren't going to force an answer out of him either.

**Hagrid stated back at once no he wasn't, but he would be.**

Sirius laughed softly to himself, he could perfectly believe that. He'd get it through his pup's head, he was sure of it.

**Harry could not think up an answer for that.**

**Hagrid said he wasn't even surprised, he'd always known he'd come back while the kids stared at him in shock.**

"I'm not," Remus shrugged, "I'm sure this actually won't come as a shock to most of the people of our generation. Fudge just had his head buried to far up his arse, but surely anyone who lived through it the first time couldn't really be convinced he's gone without a body for proof."

"Apparently they're all ready to believe it," Sirius reminded with a smirk. "Remember all the way back to Harry's first year, and when the Stone was nearly stolen, everyone thought that was Voldemort trying to make a return."

Harry felt a funny bubbling in him, an echo he was sure he wasn't going to enjoy when it fully resurfaced, and it wasn't a pleasant start to how his next few years were going to go.

**Hagrid insisted he'd known it for years, he was just out there biding his time. Well now he was back, and they'd just have to make due and fight.**

James sighed deeply as he forced himself to read that. He didn't want to hear of another war through his son when he was already well too aware how the first one had ended, and they hadn't even gotten to that yet. He hadn't exactly had a lot of time to revel in the fact that Harry was living in a war free environment while he was at school, but now he wouldn't even get that on top of whatever other mayhem he'd be getting up to.

**They were going to try and stop him getting there first, that was Dumbledore's plan.**

"Here's hoping for Dumbledore's plan," Sirius mock cheered.

**Dumbledore** **was the best man to be doing it of course, so long as they had him there was nothing to worry about.**

Harry felt a frown tugging at the corner of his mouth even as he watched those around him grudgingly nod agreement. They'd all had their doubts and annoyances with Dumbledore's meddling in Harry's life, but no one would deny that one. So why was Harry getting a bad feeling about it?

**Hagrid continued watching their disbelieving faces, laughing and saying there was no point in worrying about it. What would come, would come, and they'd meet it when it did.**

"Hagrid gives the best advice," Remus smiled pleasantly enough, though he knew better than to even pretend to hope anymore that storm wouldn't come raging in far sooner than they'd ever hope for, like never.

**Hagrid explained Dumbledore had told him everything Harry had done, and Hagrid said that's as much as James Potter would've, and that was the best praise that could be offered.**

Harry blushed deeply around a pleased smile and tried to utter something, maybe a thanks, maybe a denial, but James wouldn't hear either. He caught his sons eye and gave him a wink, stating, "I can back that up."

Harry's face somehow managed to turn even more red as he returned the smile in thanks.

**Harry gave his first smile in days as he asked what Dumbledore had Hagrid planning?**

**Hagrid simply said he had a job to do over the summer,**

"Oh," they all muttered. They hadn't at all forgotten this, and it was reassuring that Hagrid had only said it was to be over the summer, but it still sounded odd to their ears. Hogwarts without Hagrid was unthinkable. If the job was anything like the Order members were thinking though, it could be infinitely useful.

**but it was a secret he wasn't supposed to share, not even with them.**

"And why not?" Harry grumbled. "He tells us all sorts of other things." He'd meant it more as a joke, it just hadn't come out that way. He could already feel the beginnings of true annoyance at not being told something he had every confidence was an effort to stop Voldemort at whatever he was doing.

**He'd convinced Olympe, to come along.**

"Really wishing I could have sat in on that conversation," Sirius rolled his eyes.

**They asked if it had anything to do with Voldemort?**

"Most likely," Remus said with a mysterious little smile that didn't fool Harry one bit.

"Well do you know?" He demanded, still sounding pretty huffy over the matter.

Lily didn't take long to think over her answer before saying, "well yes, we've certainly got an idea, but no actual evidence."

When Harry just kept looking at her, she rolled her eyes at him and said, "come on Harry, you know the answer as well as I do. Dumbledore's following the advice he tried to give Fudge, he's sending envoys to the giants."

"Yes, I got that," Harry agreed, "I was just wondering if you guys knew anything more."

"Not really," Sirius shrugged, "if Dumbledore had tried that this time around, we don't know anything about it, he likes to keep all his eggs in separate baskets if you know what I mean. Not everyone in the Order really knows what everyone else gets up to, and Dumbledore insists we keep it that way. So if Hagrid is doing something involving them now, we're really not sure."

Harry was certainly disappointed in this, but stopped his pestering for now.

**Hagrid flinched at the sound of the name,**

"I guess yelling that name at him didn't get him over it," James muttered to himself.

**but only gave a vague answer and switched topics to asking if they wanted to go see the last skrewt?**

"Gah," James leaned back in his seat at the very thought. "Talk about a poor subject change, I'd rather discuss Voldemort!"

**He quickly promised he'd only been joking at the looks on their faces.**

"Please Harry, please tell me he didn't release that into the Forest too!" Sirius begged him.

Harry simply shrugged, he actually wasn't sure what Hagrid had done with it, and he hadn't asked, but he certainly wouldn't put it past him leaving no one in a good mood at the thought.

**Scene flip to Harry having to pack away his trunk and head down to the Leaving Feast. So far he'd been avoiding the Great Hall altogether, only coming down at the very latest for when the last bits of food were being served.**

James felt his somber mood returning at once, Hagrid's visit really had perfectly distracted them all, but now they were right back to just how hard this was to hear listening to Harry going through all of this with no bright side in sight. The last chapter was always the worst for them in realizing he'd be forced back to those useless relatives, and it somehow felt worse every time.

**Normally the place was decked out for the Inter-House Championship winners,**

"Did they even do that this year?" Remus asked randomly as he fidgeted with his sleeve, he wasn't looking forward to hearing the rest of this one little bit.

"They certainly took away and added points," Harry shrugged, "I'm sure normally they actually would have had a celebration just to show off to the other schools one more time, but this year it wasn't declared at all, so." He finished with an absent shrug, the weight of what he could sense was coming already pressing down on him heavier by the moment.

**but tonight all the drapes were done in black. He knew at once it was a mark of respect for Cedric.**

Lily felt her throat vibrate, with anger at the world for what it had done, for sympathy, for a million other things she couldn't put into words as she held her son tighter.

**The real Mad-Eye Moody was at the staff table now,**

"And I thought I couldn't look at him the same way again before," James scowled at the idea. "Now I'll never be able to meet this guy without taking his flask away for an hour."

"I'll help," Sirius promised.

**He was a new kind of twitchy, and jumped every time someone spoke to him.**

"If he was paranoid before, I honestly think he shouldn't even be allowed near people now," Lily shivered. She couldn't imagine what state she'd be in after something like this.

**Harry couldn't blame him, his imprisonment in his own trunk could only have increased his paranoia.**

"You're not paranoid if they're really out to get you," Sirius forced a smirk he knew he'd never use with Moody actually around. This wasn't something he'd make light of in the presence of the man, but right now he'd do anything to get that look off of Harry's face.

**Karkaroff's seat was empty, and as Harry took his he wondered just how far he'd run, and how long it would take Voldemort to catch up to him.**

"Most likely," James rolled his eyes, "even only having been back for a few minutes, I'm sure tracking him down and exacting his revenge is up there on his to do list."

"I like that better than Harry's name being there," Lily grumbled.

**Maxime was sitting next to Hagrid, they were talking quietly together.**

"Well there you go, I think that at least implies they've made friends again," Remus smiled genuinely for the pair.

"Hope it lasts this time," Sirius huffed.

**Snape sat in his usual spot, and Harry's eyes lingered on him curiously.**

Lily really couldn't smother this time everything she felt at the mention of him. She so desperately hoped that somehow, whatever he was out there doing, was for the good side. That he really had realized the errors of his ways and at least in some small part been the man she'd once known again. Whatever that involved. Maybe then, at least he'd have something else to focus on rather than torturing her son.

**What was it that Snape had done on Dumbledore's orders, the night that Voldemort returned?**

"I've some ideas," Sirius muttered snidly. He was a Death Eater after all, and it would be some irony indeed if Dumbledore really was trying to use Snape's influence in those ranks for his side, but that really explained nothing important, like why Dumbledore thought he could trust one grease slicked word out of his fanged mouth.

**Why did Dumbledore trust him to do anything? He concluded the job Snape must be doing was infiltrating the Death Eaters.**

"Well you put all that together fast enough," Remus smiled at him.

Harry just shrugged, thinking just the same as his godfather, it didn't answer the important question, why Dumbledore trusted him to do this.

**Harry's inner mind was cut off by Dumbledore taking to his feat, and the already subdued Great Hall went completely silent.**

"Oh dear," Lily murmured as she watched the lines that shouldn't even be there tighten all the more around James mouth as he realized what Dumbledore was about to make his speech about by those decorations.

**He began by saying this was the end to another year, his eyes lingering on the Hufflepuffs who'd been most silent of all. Dumbledore had a few things he had to say, but first was that he would like them all to raise their glasses with him for a drink to Cedric Diggory.**

Remus felt a sharp stinging in his eyes as he watched James read this with far too much familiarity. It was never so personalized, but Dumbledore had given them this speech at the end of all their years in remembrance of all the lives lost during this war. Now it was starting all over again. He hadn't even known Cedric, hadn't liked his father at all, but still to be forced to remember even a small bit of those feelings again while listening to Harry's life...he never would have imagined something like this when they'd first started.

**Every bench in the Hall scraped the ground as they all made the toast. Harry spotted Cho's face through the crowd running with tears.**

Lily felt herself swallow hard for that poor thing as well as Harry. His first crush was somehow going more disastrously than James had, and she really hoped that girl had some good friends to help her through this troubling time. She felt bad she hadn't thought of Cho sooner in all this mess, even not knowing much about her, this had to be especially hard on her as well.

**Only when they'd sat back down did Dumbledore continue, saying they all had a right to know what had happened, why Cedric wasn't here with them.**

"He hadn't told them this already," Sirius asked in surprise, he thought the headmaster had gone over all of this while Harry'd been in the hospital wing.

"No, Ron and Hermione just said he'd asked everyone not to ask me about it yet. I guess he was waiting for this moment to tell everyone." Harry honestly wished he could tell otherwise, that he wouldn't have to be there for this goodby speech of Cedric's, but he also knew he'd feel all the worse if he hadn't been able to give even some small goodby to a man he'd hardly known, but had still been his friend there at the end.

**He bluntly stated Cedric had been murdered by Voldemort.**

**A whispered panic began sweeping the hall at once, and Dumbledore waited for them to mutter themselves into silence before continuing the Ministry did not wish this to be spoken of,**

James felt himself tensing in disgust all over again at the thought of how Fudge had reacted to that news. He couldn't imagine anyone so successfully burying their head in the sand, and to be having the whole entire government acting in the exact same way was beyond shameful and just stupid. They had no idea the damage they were causing themselves all because of some arrogant, childish leader.

**nor would many parents, as they did not believe in Voldemort's return or thought them too young to know these things.**

While Lily could see the fairness in that, there were eleven year olds in there, she honestly couldn't bring herself to begrudge this of Dumbledore. They had as much a right to know as those of age how a fellow student had died even if they couldn't fully grasp it yet.

**Dumbledore would not lie to them of this truth though, and felt it would be a insult to Cedric's memory if they weren't told this fact.**

Harry rubbed furiously at his eyes behind his glasses again, trying to hide the movement by slightly adjusting them no matter how much he agreed.

**Every face in the hall was wrapped with attention at Dumbledore, except Malfoy and his friends. He was having a whispered conversation with Crabbe and Goyle, his goblet untouched.**

They all felt a white hot pain strike them at that moment. Of all the hateful, hurtful, disrespectful things Malfoy had done of late, this was by far the worst! No amount of cursing the kid would make the act better, so James forced himself to read past the moment, unbelievably hating him more than he had before.

**Harry forced himself to look away, and not react as he continued watching Dumbledore. He was still addressing them, saying there was one more person to be thanked, Harry Potter.**

**As one, the students seemed to look at him and away again.**

"Did he have to," Harry muttered loud enough they all still heard.

"What you did is as worthy of mentioning as Cedric," Lily quietly reminded.

Harry did not agree, at all, but to argue would be to bring up something he really did not want to speak of at all, so he just gave a quick nod and hoped Dumbledore was brief.

**Harry Potter had escaped Voldemort and taken great personal risk to ensure Cedric's body had been returned where it belonged. He had faced Voldemort, and for that he was to be honored.**

**Dumbledore again raised his glass, and to Harry's shock, as did everyone in the Hall once more as they murmured his name.**

No matter how much Harry felt he didn't deserve it, that didn't stop him flushing at such praise any less. Never in his young cupboard living life could he even begin to imagine such a gratitude moment for himself, one that he still didn't feel he'd ever deserved.

**To try and avoid a staring eye, he looked again to three particular Slytherins, who still remained unmoving.**

Sirius watched his hands twisting into fists. He'd hated Malfoy a lot in this time without having met him, but to continually hear him act like this at every opportunity really had him wanting for Harry to snap already and beat this brat senseless.

**Dumbledore, who after all possessed no magical eye, did not see them.**

"What could he have done even if he had?" Remus scowled hatefully. "You can't force someone to be a decent person."

**Once their seats had been taken again, Dumbledore began addressing why this had even happened. Stating the Triwizard Tournament had been invented to create ties between the schools which were now more important than ever. His eyes lingered over the foreign wizards, and Krum could be seen looking almost fearful in his seat.**

"I can see that fear," Remus sighed, "every student there would be afraid the rest of the world would turn on them, having a Death Eater as a Headmaster. If Durmstrang had a bad reputation before, that kind of news won't be helping it."

"Least it's good to know Krum hadn't actually done anything," Sirius sighed. Still feeling bad for his part he'd unknowingly played.

**Dumbledore continued somberly though, promising every person in this hall was welcome back any time with open arms. Now was the time where they must stand united, for Voldemort's gift of spreading discord would only strengthen him if they let it. They must find ways to make friendships even in the unlikeliest of places.**

Harry closed his eyes for a moment to linger on the warmth he felt beating through at those words, at his dad saying them. He knew he had a long journey to go before this was over, but somehow the end results had landed with him being here, and if that meant he'd made ties with people he'd never dreamed of before, he knew he'd be valuing Dumbledore's advice all the more.

**He concluded his speech by saying they would all do well to remember Cedric Diggory, the boy who strayed across Voldemort's path.**

**Harry's trunk was packed away, Hedwig safely in her cage,**

Even realizing that the speech had ended, they all still felt something of it linger in them. They were still bound and determined to never let this happen to Harry, not again, and not to Cedric. Yet Dumbledore had never given a more profound speech, one that everyone of those students as well as them needed to hear.

**The trio were waiting on the school grounds for the horseless carriages to arrive, and Harry reflected how different this beautiful lawn was to the dry flower beds he'd be expecting on Private Drive. The thought gave him no pleasure.**

"I'd be more worried for your mental sanity if it did," Sirius snapped to get rid of the tightness in his throat.

**Fleur found them as he spotted Hagrid helping Maxime into the carriage. She gave them a farewell, telling that she hoped to see them again as she was coming here to get a job helping her English.**

"Well that could be interesting," James snorted lightly.

"I'm sure Ron's hoping to see more of her," Remus agreed, having much more fun laughingly thinking if Ron would ever realize if he had even the slightest feelings for Hermione with Fleur hanging around.

**Ron quickly told her it was already so good, while Fleur smiled and Hermione scowled.**

"Why do I feel like that's going to be a recurring thing," Lily rolled her eyes, she wasn't looking forward to what that real love triangle could look like.

**She gave them all a wave goodby, and Harry felt his spirits rise as he watched Fleur walk back across the lawn.**

All three boys snorted with mirth at that as they pictured much the same thing, but Harry couldn't even be bothered to blush with embarrassment this time, he knew he liked Fleur, and not in the way they were thinking.

**Ron was asking how the Durmstrangs would be getting back, what with Karkaroff not being there to steer their ship.**

**From behind, they were told that Karkaroff hadn't done a thing, he'd stayed in his cabin the whole time.**

"That timing," Lily rolled her eyes.

"Why am I not surprised though," James rolled his eyes at the exact same time as his wife.

**Krum had come over to say goodbye to Hermione, who followed him slightly away.**

**Ron shouted after her to hurry, the carriages would be here any minute, but Ron didn't look back towards the gates once while they were gone, instead staying on his toes to see where they'd went.**

"So I'm guessing he wasn't watching Fleur get in her carriage and fly away," Sirius raised a brow.

"It's really hard to put a finger on which of these girls Ron likes," Remus mock rubbed his jaw.

**They returned soon enough, and Ron didn't get a chance to demand any answers from them as Krum turned to Harry and told that he'd liked Cedric, he'd always been decent to the Durmstrang.**

**Harry asked if they had a new headmaster yet?**

**Krum shrugged without care, and offered his hand to shake, then Ron as well. Ron seemed to be under some internal struggle as he shook.**

"I can imagine he's fighting the impulse not to break fingers," James snickered.

**Finally he burst out if he could have Krum's autograph?**

Sirius let out one sharp bark of laughter while the others all dissolved into giggling at such an unexpected response. It had taken Ron a whole year to work himself up to that question after everything!

**Hermione turned away, smiling at the horseless carriages that were now trundling toward them up the drive,**

Harry blinked spastically at such a description, wondering why he was more sure than ever he should know something about that...*

**as Krum, looking surprised but gratified, signed a fragment of parchment for Ron.**

"I'm sure he's going to be lording that over whoever he can," Remus chuckled.

"Or burn it while chanting for a quick death, you never know," Sirius smirked.

**The three friends got a compartment to themselves, the scene so familiar and yet the complete opposite of the way there. The weather was cloudless, Pig was still hidden under Ron's dress robes, Hedwig was dozing away, and Crookshanks was curled up in a seat like a ginger cushion.**

"I'm sure Neville wouldn't recommend using him for that though," James smiled absently, the longer he kept going, the more he forced down every swear word he knew at what was waiting at the end of that train.

**Now they talked, as Dumbledore's speech seemed to have caused some kind of release in them. They discussed what Dumbledore's plans could be for the future, how it was all being used to stop Voldemort.**

"Called it," Sirius nodded to himself.

"Yes, yes, you're as magical as Trelawney, predicting the actions of teenagers," Lily rolled her eyes at him, "I'm sure you draw from your own current mind set."

Sirius did the mature thing and stuck his tongue out at her.

**At one point while Hermione was going through her stuff, an issue of the Daily Prophet fell out. She caught Harry eying it wearily and told him it was safe to look, there wasn't anything in there.**

"If there was, I'm sure they'd be very obviously trying to eat it or something," James smirked.

"I think I am going to burn something when I hear Skeeter's spin on this," Remus curled his lip in disgust.

**Hermione had been keeping an eye on it, and the only mention of anything was a small piece saying Harry had won. They hadn't even mentioned Cedric.**

Harry felt like his own throat was on fire hearing that. It had been rude before not to even acknowledge Cedric in the Tournament in light of Harry's stupid fame, now they didn't even have the guts to admit to what really happened! Harry had half a mind right now to march up to the person in charge of the Prophet and jam his wand in their face until they realized how wrong this was.

**Fudge was most likely keeping it all quiet.**

"Can he really do that?" Harry spat in disgust.

"Unfortunately," Lily scowled. "There are some ways in which the Ministry has directory over what the Prophet can post, but this is very extreme, and certainly being overused on Fudge's part."

"Wish I was more surprised," Sirius snarled, "but at this rate I'm more shocked he doesn't have them writing pieces about how he's the most brilliant person ever to help his own ego."

**Harry pointed out no one could keep Skeeter quiet, and Hermione had an odd smile on her face as she said Skeeter hadn't written anything since the third task.**

"Do we finally get to hear what her epiphany was about?" Remus sighed, wishing he was more interested in this than he was. At this rate he was so exhausted by hearing about all this he'd gladly sleep a week straight.

"Sounds like it was right, and she's already using it to keep Skeeter quiet if there hasn't been anything out already." James cocked his head to the side in thought, he at least was enjoying this more because it kept words about Dursleys just that little farther away.

**She continued saying Skeeter wouldn't be writing anything for a while lest Hermione spill the beans on her.**

**The boys demanded to know what she was talking about, and Harry watched her bubble with excitement. It was clear she'd wanted to speak of this for a while, but in light of everything that had happened she'd restrained herself.**

"I wish she'd told sooner," Lily sighed as she ran her hand through her hair. "It's about time we heard of some justice for the proper people."

Harry agreed, but he still thought he understood why Hermione hadn't. She'd been watching him so carefully that past week, he knew she'd thought any mention of Skeeter would only make it worse, and Hermione wasn't going to risk that.

**Hermione at first explained it was Harry who'd given her the idea, bugging.****

"Well yes, that's when she ran away babbling her head off," Remus narrowed his eyes, "but I still can't imagine where in that she came up with her brilliant plan."

"She's Hermione," Sirius rolled his eyes, "I've long since stopped questioning her Moony."

**Harry began to say the electrical ones didn't work, but Hermione quickly said while she dove back into her trunk that it wasn't an electronic bug. No, Skeeter could turn into a real bug, an unregistered Animagus.**

"She's a what now?" Lily was absolutely convinced she'd heard that one wrong, but James had only gone slack jawed long enough for his two friends to register his words before reading at high speed.

**Finally dislodging a glass jar from her trunk, she showed them a beetle.**

"She can't have," Remus whispered to himself, watching James any moment like he was going to start tap dancing. "She absolutely can not have-" He just knew James was going to keep going, and somehow Hermione was wrong about this, there was no way that was the answer!

**Ron couldn't believe that was really her in there.**

"Oh sweet Merlin," Sirius looked like he was going to be faint any moment now, he was even swaying a bit from so much happiness slamming him at once.

"I-she-just-" Lily stuttered herself into silence, before she cracked and began laughing, hard. Shock, and finally something good happening like Skeeter getting the ultimate comeuppance of Hermione catching her at this, as well as the absolutely gobsmacked look on these boys faces had Lily in near hysterics she was laughing so hard. Harry was very quick to join in, he'd been needing an excuse to full blown let loose like this for some time now, and the raw happiness of thinking about Skeeter in a jar for the past week was a very nice beginning to all the horrid things she'd put him and his friends through.

"I think I'm insulted," James couldn't even pretend to get himself into that emotion, he was still looking down at the pages like his face was going to slip right off. "She used our shtick, and Hermione figured it out!"

"It fits though doesn't it," Remus was looking on ruefully, "a beetle! Couldn't name a more perfect thing for her to be using to get around, she could have been at every one one of those locations and no one would know. Most likely does it all the time, follows people around like that until she gets what she wants."

Sirius still wasn't convinced he was hearing this right, of all the purely ironic ways Skeeter was going around finding all of these secrets out about people and she was using something illegal to do it! He came too and tried to shush Lily and Harry for all the good it would do, and though they hadn't quite settled down when James found his tongue to move on, Sirius still caught every magnificent word.

**Hermione insisted that was indeed, she'd caught her on the hospital wing windowsill.**

"Bloody hell, that's what that was!" Lily yelped, she was about to run out of air she was laughing so hard. "I honestly thought she'd knocked something over or jumped, or..." she shook her head in disbelief she hadn't more fully registered Hermione's movements at that moment, but she'd been so engrossed in her feelings about Harry and Molly that had barely made a dent on her consciousness.

**Harry sat there staring at it, as suddenly he recalled he'd seen a beetle on that statue the night Hagrid had been talking to Maxime.**

"Ooh," Lily couldn't help but coo. She honestly felt bad for blaming all of that on Maxime now. She'd never been so happy to be wrong before.

**Hermione agreed she'd been buzzing around all year for her stories like this.**

James could not stop reading without numb lips from shock! Hermione had put all of this together right under their nose and they hadn't even noticed! Not to mention just what Skeeter had done...this was just a whole new level of scheming he never would have thought she was capable of, and yet the worst part was he would have been grudgingly admirable of it if she hadn't been using it on his son as well as his friends. Now he was fighting the impulse to go grab a jar himself and catch that stupid beetle while she was still practicing at it.

**Ron recalled seeing Malfoy under the tree, and Hermione agreed he'd been talking to her in his hand.**

"Jeez, he knew about this, for perhaps the whole time, and why am I not even surprised he didn't care," Lily wrinkled up her nose with distaste.

**He hadn't cared she was illegal, so long as he got to give her all that dirt.**

**Hermione took the jar back and and tapped at the glass.**

"What's she going to do to her?" Sirius asked slowly, and far too eagerly.

"Nothing that you would," Remus said, and would deny any regret in his voice.

**Hermione said she'd let her out in London,**

"That's it, just keep her in a jar for a week, that really is tame," James huffed at Hermione.

"Well she can hardly keep her kidnapped forever," Lily rolled her eyes at these boys, "and most likely she'll keep this blackmail hung above her head for as long as it takes her to learn her lesson about the kind of stories she should and shouldn't be writing about."

"That's still tame," Sirius sighed.

"But I'll take it," Remus smirked.

"What's to stop her from just registering herself though, and continuing to do it?" Harry asked.

"It takes years to become an animagus," James reminded. "You're supposed to be doing it under heavy supervision, honestly it's a bit of a problem for us as well. We're going to have to be really careful and not make it seem like we can already do it when we show up to 'learn' to do it. I sincerely doubt Skeeter will put up with that nonsense." 

**she'd put an unbreakable Charm on the class so Skeeter couldn't do anything until then,**

"Well that went without saying," Sirius rolled his eyes, a bit bitterly he'd never had the chance to use this on another certain animagus.

**and she'd make Skeeter swear not to write any more nasty stories until she learned not to write lies about people, or her secret would be the one to come out.**

**Smiling to herself, Hermione tucked the jar back away.**

"Hermione scares me sometimes," Harry chuckled with the most happiness he'd felt in ages.

"Be happy she's on your side," James gave an exaggerated shiver. "Can you imagine if you'd never made friends with her."

"My school life would be far different, and more difficult," he agreed.

**The compartment door opened just then, Malfoy mockingly congratulating Hermione on figuring this out.**

"That timing!" This time Remus threw his hands up in exasperation at Harry's conversations always seeming to have someone listening in on them.

"Bet he's real proud of himself," Sirius' eyes gleamed nastily, "popping his head in there to gloat while there aren't any teachers around."

"I'm sure Malfoy would be remiss not to use this opturinity," James agreed wistfully, long since wishing his son was more like him in at least this regard, Malfoy deserved it, but at this rate it seemed more likely he'd be holding Ron back from whatever curses were playing in his head.

**He laughed about the reporter being back out and Potter being Dumbledore's favorite again,**

"Again? Was there a point where that had really changed?" Remus rolled his eyes.

**everything was back to normal. His cold eyes held theirs as he really asked if they were in here thinking about it, trying to pretend none of it had happened?**

"I wish you never happened," Lily whispered in a deadly soft voice. How dare this little cretin make fun of her son being in that cemetery!

**Harry stood abruptly and told him to get out. He hadn't been in striking distance of Malfoy since he'd been so disrespectful at Dumbledore's speech.**

James could feel a rhythmic thumping pumping through him, adrenaline trying to kick start a fight even if he wasn't there, but now he suddenly realized Harry had hit his breaking point with Malfoy, this blond ferret had finally gone one step too far in front of his son, and Harry may well be helping out Ron this time.

**Malfoy snapped at him Potter had picked the losing side, Malfoy had warned him that very first train ride.**

"I remember a lot about that day," Harry nodded to himself, "meeting my two best friends and finding my first real home. Malfoy acting like an arrogant prat all started blending together over the years though."

The boys laughed softly in agreement while Lily nodded and said, "good of you to keep your priorities straight then."

**It was too late now, the Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers were going to be the first to go!**

James still couldn't say that foul word without having the urge to bite his own tongue off for having to say it at all, especially with his wife in the room. What he wouldn't give to go back in time and curse the first blighter who dared invent it, but if it hadn't been that than it would have been something else just as derogatory. He just wished Lily wouldn't flinch every time as she was forced to remember someone else calling her that.

**Well second, Diggory had been the f-**

Harry saw red as he felt that surge of magic beat through him. However angry those around him sounded as they snapped in protest of that being said, it still wasn't comparable to how Harry felt, having to live that.

**a box of firework seemed to have gone off in their compartment, and when the fizzle died down, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were on the ground from the assortment of hexs Harry, Ron, and Hermione had used.**

"You have the best friends in the world," Sirius beamed, bouncing happily in his seat once more. He still wished more than anything he could have been there, to use his own curse on that waste of breath, but hearing that made it better.

**They weren't the only ones to have done so.**

"Eh?" Remus demanded, the smile on his face only growing wider as he hoped to hear maybe Neville had come along and helped out.

**Fred popped his face around the corner, stepping onto Goyle as he entered saying how they'd spotted them walking past their compartment.**

"Oh this is brilliant," James crowed, somehow these twins just kept getting better every time they heard about them!

"I hope Ron confronts them again about what they've been up to," Sirius perked up with even more excitement. "It's going to drive me crazy if we have to keep waiting to hear it all."

"They might never tell Ron," Lily reminded with a shrug, "I doubt they really think it's his business."

"Stop being a killjoy dear," James told her pleasantly as he turned back to the book with his first real smile in a long time.

**His wand was held loosely at his side as well as George's, who made sure to step on Malfoy's fingers as he followed inside.**

"A proper entrance then," Remus smiled.

**George was inspecting all of their handiwork, and asked who'd used the Furnunculus?**

**Harry** **said that had been him, and George noted that shouldn't be mixed with Jelly-Legs, it seemed to have given Malfoy little tentacles on his face.**

"I'm taking notes," Sirius beamed.

"So long as I'm not the test dummy for whatever new experiments you're thinking of," Remus chuckled.

**They decided to push them out into the hallway, those three definitely didn't go with the decor.**

**The twins stayed inside and decided to play a game of Exploding Snap, but were only at it for a few hands before they were asked who they'd been blackmailing again.**

**Fred sighed it didn't matter anymore.**

"Course it matters!" James yelped.

"They can't honestly think this wouldn't have some long term effects no matter what's going on," Remus agreed.

**George tried to shrug it off, saying they'd given up.**

"Something really bad must have happened," Sirius frowned in concern, "that doesn't sound like them at all."

Lily had to resist the impulse to remind this was a good thing, as she agreed, she really did want to hear what on earth they'd been up to.

**When they kept pestering though, finally Fred admitted it had been Bagman.**

James really did keep expecting the surprises to be over already, yet this was the last thing he'd have ever called.

"He what!" Sirius yelped at once. "For what?!"

"The, the only thing they've had to do with him was their bet," Remus had his eyes narrowed, "but Harry, you said you saw him pay them back, so I can't even imagine it."

Harry nodded his agreement, as dumbfounded as them, and yet there wasn't a grain of him left leaving him unsure this was true.

**Harry was shocked he'd been involved in all that stuff this year.**

"Well that was a jump," Sirius frowned, "I just can't figure out what he did do."

"Can you blame him," Lily defended at once, "he's been acting shifty all year, clearly going out of his way to try and help Harry along, and now he knows the end goal was for him to win-"

"Alright woman, keep your hair on!" Sirius leaned slightly behind Remus to get those sharp eyes off of him for a moment.

**George quickly said he hadn't the brains for that, no this had to do with their bet at the World Cup.**

"So this is about that bet," Remus muttered, this still wasn't making much sense to him.

**He'd paid them back their winnings in leprechaun gold.**

"He did what!" Sirius roared in outrage at once.

"That absolute git!" James snapped. "Did he really think he could get away with that just because they were minors? How dare he pull that stunt."

"Maybe it was just an accident," Harry tried wistfully even if he could already feel it not to be true.

"Tch," Lily tisked, "a common person wouldn't just make a stupid mistake like that. What I don't understand is why they tried blackmailing him about it, or what they even had over him and why. Why not just tell their dad, he'd have found a way to sort it out."

"Let me keep going," James groused, "hopefully we get a bit more of what all's been going on."

**Ron asked so?**

"Oh come on Ron, you just learned your lesson about that earlier this year," James snapped, his voice coming out more testy than he'd meant to because he was still so agitated about this.

**Fred impatiently reminded it had vanished hadn't it!**

**Hermione tried to say it must have been some sort of mistake, and at first the twins had agreed. They'd written to him to try and get it sorted out, but he began avoiding them at all costs.**

**George sighed that in the end he'd tried to dodge out altogether, saying they were too young to be gambling to begin with.**

**They hadn't been the only ones, Lee Jordan's dad had also run into some trouble about this.**

"So it wasn't just them," Remus' frown deepend, had Bagman really thought he could get away with tricking so many people? Surely he couldn't be so stupid, he was a prominent member of the society being the head of department, not just a Quidditch star.

**It turned out Bagman was in a huge debt to some goblins, he'd borrowed a ton of gold from them.**

"What an idiot!" Lily said faintly at the very idea of someone getting themselves into that kind of corner.

"Did they ever get more details," James tried digging, "like what kind of trouble this was?"

"Can't imagine it was worth ripping so many people off," Sirius huffed.

"No," James agreed, "just curious is all."

"The poor twins though," Remus kept wincing every time he added a new layer of bad for this situation in his head. "That was all their savings, and with how many must know about this, I can't believe this hasn't been taken public already. It'll take them ages to get their proper winnings back."

**They'd cornered him at the World Cup to take away what he'd earned, but that hadn't been enough.**

Sirius let out a low, throaty whistle in surprise as he vaguely recalled thinking someone had mugged him back during that, and he'd been sort of right but no where near close.

**So they'd started following him around Hogwarts.**

Remus almost wanted to laugh as he recalled that odd moment in the Three Broomsticks, how apparently the answer had been hovering just behind him the whole time and they'd had no clue. The world sure worked in a strange way.

**Bagman had tried to settle by placing a bet on Harry, that he would win the Tournament.**

"That's why he was trying to help you win," James rubbed at his forehead, "though somehow I hate him more for this than our own idea."

"But Harry did win," Sirius perked up, "so at least now Bagman can at least make a start on putting this right."

Remus didn't quite agree, he felt like he could spot a loophole in that bet, but hopefully he was wrong.

**Harry said that should be good then, he'd won and they could get their money back.**

**George** **shook his head hopelessly, pointing out the goblins had pulled a loophole, technically he'd tied with Cedric. Bagman's bet had been Harry would win outright.**

"Ouch," they all winced in horror. This just wasn't right what had been done to the twins.

Still Harry tried, "can't they, I don't know, I hate the Ministry too much right now to want to ask them for anything, but I'm sure they can make this right somehow." He was absolutely convinced now the twins had to get their start up somehow...

"I don't see it," James groaned, "it's really not in their place to fix this, that was a private thing going on, not really their problem if all bets aren't held."

**So Bagman had made a run for it, no one had seen him since the third task.**

**Fred sighed deeply and began dishing out the cards again.**

"This is so wrong," Sirius groaned as he started fidgeting in place, his mind still racing for a way to make this better. "There's got to be another way for them to earn all that back, I'll really tear into someone if they can't start their shop because of this mess."

"They'll have to start at the bottom now," Remus tried to pacify, "it'll be harder to work their way up, but with luck they'll get in at Zonko's and go from there."

**The rest of the journey felt pleasant enough to Harry, and he wished it would simply go on all summer. Sadly as he'd learned this year, time would not stop just because he was dreading something, and the train pulled in as ever.**

James groaned like he'd been punched in the gut. The final blow of learning what had been done to the twins really was that extra kick he didn't need to make this situation worse! Everyone looked the same, like at any moment they were just going to snap the book closed on James fingers so they could pretend just for one time Harry wouldn't have to deal with them.

**Ron and Hermione squeezed out first, but Harry called the twins back before they could leave.**

James perked up with interest just for the simple fact he got to put this off for a moment more, but one glance at Harry and he really was eager to keep going. Harry had a smile in place, that same impish look James had learned meant he was going to be proud of his son!

**The twins turned. Harry pulled open his trunk and drew out his Triwizard winnings.**

"Oh you aren't," Sirius began grinning so widely already his teeth were already starting to flash.

**He thrust it into George's hands at once.**

"But he is!" Lily squealed as she began clapping her hands with excitement.

Both James and Sirius were laughing boyishly with excitement, they couldn't have been more proud of Harry thinking up this, but Remus caught Harry's eye with pity. "What on earth makes you think they'll take that more than any other Weasley?"

Harry's face was set, he was not taking no for an answer. "Because I'll dump it down their pants if they don't. I don't want it, or need it, and they'll have some use for it that I never will. I'm sure I get them to take it, and they'll be brilliant about it."

"Of that we've no doubts," James giggled, forcing his laughter to cut off so he could see how this played out.

**Fred told Harry he was being mental, and Harry insisted he knew what he was doing, he wanted them to have it to start their joke shop.**

**George now knew Harry was mental.**

"In the best way possible!" Sirius beamed.

**Harry snapped if they didn't take it, he'd toss it down the train.**

"Now that's just a waste," Lily rolled her eyes even if he didn't mean it. He could at least give it to some sort of charity, even if she did find this just as worthy a cause.

**He didn't want it, or need it, but everyone needed some good laughs. Everyone would be needing that soon.**

Most of their laughter was dried up as they really got a feeling for what Harry meant, but it only flamed their enthusiasm for the idea all the more. They were sure Fred and George would cave to that, they had already proven how true they felt that was with how they went about their school life.

**George insisted this was a thousand Galleons!**

"Wasn't this the reason they wanted to win in the first place," James sighed wistfully, "now they get the best parts all to themselves."

"This is brilliant," Sirius agreed, he couldn't have come up with a better idea!

**Harry smiled as he pointed out how many Canary Creams that was.**

"A lifetime's supply honestly," Remus snickered.

**The twins just kept gaping at him as Harry only asked they not tell their mother where it had come from.**

"Harry," Lily couldn't help but chid.

Harry gave a small shrug and a smaller smile. "After everything she'd done for me, I really didn't want to do anything to make her hate me, but they deserved it." His throat felt funny there at the end, but he still knew he was right.

Lily huffed softly as she brushed his hair down for a moment, but spoke with utter conviction, "she'd never hate you love. She may not be keen on what her boys are doing, but I can promise you she'd never hate you for it." She felt strange, defending Molly to Harry, when she'd still much rather be seeing Molly as a threat...but she just couldn't do it. Not to the woman who cared so much for her baby when she'd never had a reason to.

Harry wasn't sure he agreed, but he also smiled with pure happiness as he hoped she was right.

**Though at this point she shouldn't be wanting them to join the Ministry anyways.**

"Well that I'll give her," Remus laughed outright.

**Fred tried one last time to protest, but Harry pulled his wand.**

"Now you really mean business," Sirius outright cackled.

**Telling them to take it or he'd hex them! Then he asked for one more thing, to buy Ron some new dress robes and say it was from them.**

"That's even better," James smile broadened, "giving them a stipulation. It's more like saying go do this favor for me and keep the change!"

"That's a lot of change," Remus rolled his eyes at his idiotic friends.

**He left the compartment before they could say another word, leaving the Slytherin trio in the hallway still unconscious.**

"Wonder what would happen if someone was left on the train like that," Harry said a little wistfully. In truth he was honestly thinking if he'd be carried back to school, but then they'd probably find some other way to force him back and he'd be in even more trouble for causing the Dursleys to make a visit needlessly. In reality he really was having some sort of memory connected to getting left on the train...

"Never tried," Sirius said with honest regret. "My friends usually got me off with a combination of threats and promises, but now I'm wishing I had stood my ground at least once and see if I couldn't just live it rough a few months."

"Sleeping on a cushioned seat and eating off the trolley for a whole summer is living it rough to you?" Remus looked at him with a smirk. "I'm terrified to see how you really do camping."

"No camping!" Harry said quickly, trying to wave his dad on before this could spiral further.

**Vernon was waiting beyond the barrier.**

Whatever good mood the twins and his own friends had caused him vanished the moment James was forced to read this final bit. If he couldn't change Voldemort's return, the one thing he knew he'd give his life for again was for Harry to not have to go back with those abusive people!

**Mrs. Weasley was hovering right beside him, and hugged him at once at his arrival, promising in his ear he should be coming along to their place very soon.**

Lily could feel copper slick on her tongue she was biting it so hard not to rage about Dumbledore making decisions like that for Harry! He should never be forced back into their company!

**Ron gave him an enthusiastic goodbye, as did Hermione as she reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek, which was new.**

Sirius was in such a nasty mood picturing that stupid walrus within arms reach of his godson again he didn't bother to make a sarcastic comment about that.

**Fred and George gave one last whispered thanks to Harry as he followed his Uncle outside. He decided there was no point in worrying himself yet as he loaded his stuff up and went into the back seat. Hagrid had spoken the truth, whatever happened, would happen, and he'd just have to be ready when it did.**

"This book's over." James whispered as he closed this book for the final time. He never would have believed a book could hurt him so bad, but this one had found every pain, every insecurity, every bad feeling he'd ever felt and quantified it plus adding on a few more. He really was astounded Harry had lived through it all without losing his mind.

"About bleeding time," Sirius scowled as he got to his feet at once, he was sick and tired of sitting around for so long, being so forcibly inactive with nothing to do. "I'm going into the backyard to plot murder, anyone want to come?" He didn't wait for a response, but Remus followed him out curiously enough to see what he was really going to be getting up to out there. Lily followed them to the back door with a few mutters about starting an early dinner, really she just had the need for something to do as well, leaving Harry and James in a peaceful enough silence.

Harry struggled for a moment, looking for the right words to say something to him. He tried to string together how much James had meant to him even before he'd met him, the idea of his father had gotten him through most of his childhood even when he hadn't a name and face to put together. James couldn't stop the swell of happiness it caused him to hear that, and finally the taint of bitterness had really left him as he promised, "I know Harry. I wish more than anything you hadn't had to wait so long to meet me, but I really couldn't have picked anyone better than Sirius to be there for you. He acts like an idiot, but you'll never have a better man on your side."

Harry forcefully ignored the tightness in his chest as he nodded his agreement, saying, "I'm sure I get to enjoy that to this very day. He's probably losing his mind right now when I came from."

James found a laugh somewhere in him for the odd idea alone, but then he really turned on Harry and said, "Hey, just in case Sirius didn't get this through your thick head that summer, you do know nothing that happened was your fault, right?"

Harry leaned back and away from him, trying to ignore the sudden shakes and shivers. Around a trembling jaw he managed, "I guess, in theory. It's much harder to convince myself in practice. Especially because I know no one's ever convinced me of it before now."

James felt his own mounting concern, truly wondering just how much Harry could take before he snapped. First he blamed himself for what happened to Sirius, then Peter's escape, now everything Peter had done since then. How had no one ever sat him down and really got it through to him these things were outside of his control? At least he could now, as he began promising no matter what at least Harry had them now, when he heard his infant begin crying upstairs.

James hung his head and cursed his own sons timing.

* * *

I finished the fourth book in the series! I feel like that's about as much of an accomplishment as completing the previous three! I probably need to stop using so many exclamation points for everything but I'm just so dang happy! I am 99% sure my eyes rolled out of my head while I was passed out after I saw the final results of the level of attention this fic got! I just...words don't cover it people, thank you isn't big enough, but THANK YOU!

Thoughts on Goblet of Fire:

From the very beginning, you can tell this book wasn't going to be like any before it. There was a guy murdered point blank in the first chapter. When people say this is when the series really went dark, they do mean it, but still I find the series continues to engage you in as light and realistic a way as a world of magic can! Being my fifth favorite in the series, it does have some problems and flaws with it over all that I don't pretend to ignore, but it's such a fascinating arc and continuing and beginning in itself that I can never believe for a moment this isn't a work of art in itself. The characters are great and continue to grow and flourish, new and old themes continue to overlap and produce the most brilliant of storytelling, this is what I emulate to write for myself some day! 8/10 for me!

For questions regarding the fifth book, look to my profile!

* Don't worry, I'll have that brought up and explained in the next book of why Harry saw them at the beginning of next year and not here.

**I didn't bring this up yet because this is the best example, but it actually kind of annoys me how Hermione's used as a plot point of convenience device to get this kind of information a lot. She just so happened to have that book on Flamel, the Basilisk I slightly give Hermione was the only one who knew Harry was a Parselmouth and so put that together, but the Time-Turner she just happened to have that year, and now this? Where the ever loving did she get unregistered animagus from? Beetles are so common it really blows my mind how she put that together. I heard about how this book went through a lot of rewrites, and Skeeter was actually added much later in drafts, so this particular plot point could have been a little better handled in my opinion, I don't know, maybe Harry should have been grumbling about becoming an animagus more than that one time on top of the magical bugging, instead this feels more like it came out of nowhere because Hermione needed to figure something out this year.


End file.
